For the Record, Op. 1: New Recordings by Jennifer Koh, Philippe Quint, Chiara String Quartet and more

September 21, 2016, 9:43 PM · This week we're launching a new feature on Violinist.com called "For the Record," a weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Tchaikovsky: Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra
Jennifer Koh
Odense Symphony Orchestra; Alexander Vedernikov, conductor
In 1994, Jennifer Koh won the top prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Though she has performed works of Tchaikovsky countless times live, this her first-ever recording of Tchaikovsky works. Besides the famous ("unplayable") Violin Concerto, it also includes Sérénade Mélancolique, Valse-Scherzo, and Souvenir d'un lieu cher (Glazuonov's orchestration). Jennifer Koh plays "Meditation" from Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir d'un lieu cher":

Khachaturian & Glazunov: Violin Concertos
Philippe Quint
Bochumer Symphoniker; Steven Sloane, conductor
Philippe Quint continues his exploration of Russian repertoire with this new recording of Alexander Glazunov's Violin Concerto, written originally for Leopold Auer; and Aram Khachaturian's Violin Concerto, written for Soviet violinist David Oistrakh. Philippe Quint plays the last movement from the Khachaturian:

Bartók by Heart
Chiara String Quartet
First they recorded Brahms by Heart, now Bartók's complete string quartets. Wow! It's a 2-CD set. Said cellist Gregory Beaver: "Many of the devilishly difficult passages in (Bartók's) music became natural when performed without printed music. Through the memorization process, we are able to return Bartok's music to the realm of the unrecorded folk music he so lovingly captured." The middle movement of Bartok's String Quartet #4, performed by heart by the Chiara String Quartet:

Shostakovich: Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor
MacArthur “genius grant” winner Alisa Weilerstein plays both cello concertos - markedly contrasting works - by Dmitri Shostakovich. When she was 22, Weilerstein met and played for cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, for whom Shostakovich wrote both of his cello concertos. Later this season she'll play all six of J.S. Bach’s suites for unaccompanied cello; she'll also premiere works by American composer Joseph Hallman with the New York Phil.

Paganini: 24 Caprices, Op. 1
Edson Scheid, Baroque violin
Paganini Caprices are played nearly always with a modern set-up, though they were written around 1805 and published in 1820. In this recording, Brazilian violinst Edson Scheid, explores period performance, performing with a classical bow on on a 1739 Testore violin with gut strings and no chinrest, no shoulder rest, and a Baroque bridge and tailpiece. Scheid is a two-time winner of the Historical Performance Concerto Competition at The Juilliard School.

Reimagined: Schumann and Beethoven for Cello Quintet
Ying Quartet and Zuill Bailey
The "Kreutzer" for five! The Ying Quartet plus cellist Zuill Bailey perform Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata (originally for violin and piano) in an 1832 arrangement for cello quintet; as well as their own new arrangement of Schumann's Cello Concerto.

Schumann Piano Quintet
Benvenue Fortepiano Trio
Monica Huggett, Tanya Tompkins, Eric Zivian, Carla Moore, Jodi Levitz
Robert Schumann wrote his piano quintets as a gift to his young wife, the formidable pianist Clara Wieck Schumann. In this recording, period performance expert Monica Huggett and friends explore Schumann's chamber music, using period instruments.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

Replies

Katherine Dunham

September 23, 2016 at 06:18 AM · This is a great addition to violinist.com, useful and fun!

197.93.133.102

September 23, 2016 at 06:30 PM · GREAT STUFF THANK YOU

Peter Kerr

Elisabeth Matesky

September 23, 2016 at 09:36 PM · Knowing Aram Khachaturian's Violin Concerto most of my life as well as his Gayneh Suite, Sparticus Ballet, et al, I may be a bit 'prejudiced' in my conception of the Third Movement of the Violin Concerto, but feel upon hearing a very fine younger generational Violinist, Philippe Quint, performing this greatly impassioned and bravura last movement finale to the thunderous prior opening Allegro con fermezza and 'other world' tender slow movement, it seems to be yet somewhat lacking in scope, all by itself ~ If one were launching a space craft to the Moon from Earth, the earthquaking amount of jet propelled fuel required to launch off the Cape Kennedy pad would be/ is enormous & nearly unfathomable in power for lift off and onward in Phase I of flight ~ Likewise, the power to launch the opening first movement of the Khachaturian is enormous to awe and dazzle the listener, the orchestra and Conductor -- emanating from the solo violin line! Energy builds up and throughout the composer's opening movement, 'seconded' by his original Khachaturian Cadenza or the remarkable David Oistrakh Cadenza of the Concerto's dedicatee ... All of this combustible force knocks all playing and listening out of their seats! The 'pause', aka, slow movement, is Khachaturian's looking back to quieter times, lovelies and love lost in his life after the Tsunami 1st movement and just prior to the 'Devil's Dance' ~ the third and final movement which, in veiled ways, is a sort of last movement 'Allegro ma non tanto' of Sibelius' masterpiece for Violin and Orchestra ~ It was with this history in mind that one was waiting for (or a lack of better words) the Moon Landing of Khachaturian's Final pronouncement's of --'and I really mean it!!' With the composer's scoring (amid his inner vision) of the raised violin upwards of the great Oistrakh with bow arm high on that Sul G string melody broadly and impassionately pouring out the composer's deep inner cries of Armenian pathos which continue on to the solo violin melody soaring high above the orchestra on the E string with inaudible & unbroken bowing changes spewing forth the throbbing temperament of the collective Armenian Soul so lusciously captured by the Master of Armenian-Russian temperament and fused hearts of Centuries old, one must open way up emotionally ~ Truly loving and living this Violin Concerto -- the audio sound-track of my mostly Russian rooted Family, with the father who taught me the Khachaturian which propelled me straight into Jascha Heifetz's original Violin Master Class at USC, subsequently filmed and invited by Mr. Heifetz to perform the Khachaturian in my half hour filmed performance/lesson with Mr. 'H.', on YouTube's Jascha Heifetz Violin Master Classes, USC,.(Khachaturian 1st mov't, JH-7, Elisabeth Matesky), I offer the above expressions of verbal feelings to dear Philippe Quint, for his advisement & expansion of passion in the third movement! *In the closing chords ~ open D, open A, and F# on A string & D on E string, break them into 2 and 2 & spread/broaden more during each successive chord to power through with Aram Khachaturian's Bravura!!! Mr. Quint possesses all of these qualities; of this I am sure!!! Thank you for your offering of this mighty Violin Concerto at this time!

Warm Musical Regards from America ~

Elisabeth Matesky*

www.linkedin.com

Paul Deck

September 24, 2016 at 11:47 AM · Laurie -- another great feature! -- thank you for bringing us these reviews. It would be really cool if they could be coupled with a drawing for one of the CDs.

Laurie Niles

September 26, 2016 at 05:18 PM · Paul, we did CD giveaways for many years and we found that they didn't justify the time and expense of doing it. Perhaps because the world is moving to digital!

This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.