Leila Josefowicz's new Prokofiev recording

[lwl]

When I was at Tower earlier today picking up Hahn's new Brahms/Stravinsky recording, I noticed that Leila Josefowicz has also just released a new recording -- the two Prokofiev concertos coupled with Tchaikovsky's Serenade Melancholique.

I only had time to listen to the First Concerto, which, thanks to her unusually slow tempi, ran significantly longer than expected.

The first few notes of the concerto are gorgeous -- a pure, ethereal, connected sound that reminds you that this woman is a Ysaye descendant by way of Brodsky.

Unfortunately, that's the first and last time you'll remember that, in her recording of this work.

This is a really oddly self-indulgent interpretation -- even moreso than her other recent recordings. It's full of very sharp, rather harsh accents -- paradoxically breaking up rather than highlighting Prokofiev's play with rhythms, in my opinion.

It certainly doesn't lack for originality, but I'm not sure I can consider that a positive thing; ultimately I walked away unconvinced by her reading (and didn't buy the CD). While Mutter, for example, is also self-indulgent and pretty "out there" interpretively in this work, she plays with such conviction that she makes it work (at least for me) -- even if I ultimately walked away thinking that her rendition wasn't the within the realm of ways I'd like to hear it, it was compelling, interesting listening. Josefowicz is simply Just Different.

Also, there are some questionable moments, technically, as well, including a really glaring bout of octaves in the Scherzo. Why that was not fixed by another take, I have no idea -- this is a studio recording, after all.

I keep expecting better from Josefowicz, but her last bunch of recordings have just been disappointing. (This CD was recorded in May 1999, according to the booklet. The note from Josefowicz within is dated May 2001. And yet it's being released now -- odd.)

Any other thoughts? I want to listen to the rest of the disc at some time...

[This message has been edited by lwl (edited 11-15-2001).]

[Mu0n]

What's the best recordings for:

1) Prokofiev concerti #1 and #2

2) Prokofiev violin sonatas #1 and #2?

Those 4 works rank up in my 20th Century top 5. Yeah, I'm a Proko nuts.

[Guest]

I have a recording of her Bohemian Rhapsodies

the what she plays those pieces, it made them sound like they come from the gypsies..

her tone on her G string is really powerful..

anwyay i saw her playing Mendelssohn's E minor in singapore and i enjoyed it even though there were a lot of unnecessary actions made by her.... and for encore, she played Bach's partita in E and again.. it was enjoyable but too much actions....

anyway.. just looking at her play, makes the piece looks as if it was that easy....

alvin

onewl@pacific.net.sg

[HuangKaiVun]

I like NathanMilstein for #1, Jascha Heifetz for #2, David Oistrakh in either.

[iupviolin]

Call me stupid but I LOVE her recording of Tchaikovsky!

The recording I have of Prok. 1 and 2 (and Shostakovich 1 & 2 [Virgin Classics]) is with Dmitry Sitkovetsky and the London SO with Davis conducting. Wonderful performance!

[vieuxtemps]

Originally posted by iupviolin:

quote:

---

Call me stupid but I LOVE her recording of Tchaikovsky!

---

I remember a movement of Dmitri Sitkovetsky's #1 from the 2-disc set "stupid" mentioned . Great playing and interesting interpretation, but it didn't hit me the way Szigeti's did. Still, I'd like to hear the rest.

Szigeti (#1) and Heifetz (#2) are my current favorites. I'll talk about Stern, Chung, Bell, Oistrakh (#2), Rabin (#2), Francescatti (#2), and more Sitkovetsky after I listen to them again.

I'm interested in Josefowicz's Tchaik/Sibelius CD after iupviolin's endorsement. I saw her play Mendelssohn in Atlanta almost 3 years ago. I wasn't the listener I am now, so I didn't pick up much. But I remember the gyrating pelvis throughout the concert. How someone can move so much and still play phenomenally is beyond me.

-Aman

[lwl]

I have far too many recordings of the first concerto: Cho-Liang Lin, Nathan Milstein, Schlomo Mintz, Anne-Sophie Mutter, David Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh, Julian Rachlin, Ruggiero Ricci, Gil Shaham, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Joseph Sivo, Vladimir Spivakov, Isaac Stern, Joseph Szigeti, and Maxim Vengerov. I'm probably forgetting some, too.

Szigeti and David Oistrakh form what I think of as the "baseline" interpretations of this particular work; both had the direct input of the composer, but their temperaments are quite different and consequently the results are quite different. I think both of them are certainly worth hearing. I believe the only Oistrakh recording currently in print is the Prague broadcast one; the tiny technical flaws aren't noticeable unless you're really familiar with the work, and the performance is full of momentum.

I also think that Isaac Stern (either of his two recordings) is worth a listen; I find his interpretation closer to Szigeti's than Oistrakh's, in taste.

Milstein's studio recording (the broadcast one leaves the orchestra in the dust, unfortunately) is typical aristocratic playing, very worthwhile if you like Milstein's playing in general.

For study purposes, Dmitri Sitkovetsky is well worth obtaining; he plays with remarkable clarity. Like other younger players, his playing favors an Oistrakh-like interpretation.

The exception is the young Julian Rachlin. There is, on the Sony label, a live recording of his performance, which is electrifying, romantic playing in the old Auer tradition. (Paradoxically, the Tchaikovsky concerto it is coupled with is nowhere near as good.)

Mutter is flat-out strange; I wouldn't recommend her recording to anyone who doesn't have a bunch of them already, but it's certainly interesting listening to someone with this unique of a take on the piece.

I don't have a really solid "favorite" for the second concerto. I think Heifetz is certainly the first recording to buy in that work, though.

[This message has been edited by lwl (edited 11-15-2001).]

[Mu0n]

Thanks, I'll check Heifetz for #2, and pick a random one from your lists for #1.

But that's the concertos..

What about the sonatas? Did you forget about them because you think ... they are much lesser works??

[lwl]

In general, I am significantly less familiar with sonatas than concertos. I don't have enough experience hearing them either live or on recording to really have solid opinions.

My first inclination in this repertoire would be Oistrakh, though.

[paganiniboy]

Heifetz for #2

Ilya Kaler for the Sonatas.

P

[paganiniboy]

Heifetz for #2

Ilya Kaler for the Sonatas. - I'm still amazed on how unrecognized this violinist is. SO underrated, and doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Maybe its 'cuz of the not-to-well-known recording label he uses.... Ahhh, the downfalls of the music industry buisiness.

P

[elrach]

quote:

---

Originally posted by paganiniboy:

Heifetz for #2

Ilya Kaler for the Sonatas. - I'm still amazed on how unrecognized this violinist is. SO underrated, and doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Maybe its 'cuz of the not-to-well-known recording label he uses.... Ahhh, the downfalls of the music industry buisiness.

~~~~I only have his Dvorak and Glazunov on Naxos label. ITA that he is underrated. You bring up a good point about the music industry. I am curious, what does it take for the more well known e,g SONY to endorse an artist?

P

---

[SteveLaBonne]

Actually, the "major" record labels are in such disarray that Kaler is probably glad to be with Naxos. He has plenty of widely-distributed recordings available (Naxos sells very well in many, many countries) whereas, for example, Pamela Frank's contract was canceled by Decca after just a couple of recordings.

[Ron MacDonald]

I believe Szigeti was the first to record both of the sonatas. His early recordings of them are still the benchmark for me. His late recording of them with Artur Balsam fortunately finds him in good form and has the advantage of excellent sound (Mercury SR 90319)--probably difficult to find now.

Szigeti also recorded the Unaccompanied Sonata and Five Melodies (Columbia ML 5178)

There is an interesting story in his autobiography about his having banished Prokofiev from a rehearsal of the First Concerto. Szigeti had so identified himself with the work that he gave instructions to conductor and orchestra as if it were his own and thus he worried that the presence of the composer would inhibit him. Prokofiev went to the performance instead and said that Szigeti played magnificently.

I have also enjoyed an old Milstein recording of the F minor Sonata with Artur Balsam.

Ron

[jake]

Heifetz plays the first movement of #2 too darn fast. It loses much, if not all, of the color and emotion that Prokofiev put into this wonderful piece. Yes it sounds good, and yes its impressive. But its also just too "Heifetz" and not enough "prokofiev."

I prefer recordings from Shaham and Vengerov. In contrast, Vengerov takes the first movement on the slow side, but it works much better for me. Shaham's is pretty good, although it doesn't sound as "Russian" to me as Vengerov's.

I'm not familiar enough with Oistrakh's version to comment, but I'm sure its excellent.

[Mu0n]

Ok, well, I got the Heifetz version (Naxos one, which is the older one, not the 1959 version). I just listened to it and I'm not annoyed anywhere near as much by the fast speed as I was for his Mendelssohn.

There were very few options for the concerto #1 (2 Stern versions, and plenty of "younguns"). I really wanted the Oistrakh, so I didn't buy any.

There were not many options for the sonatas as well, so I decided on a Russian duo over all else - Repin + Berezovsky. I like what I'm hearing so far. I also have the five melodies in this cd (from "Erato").

Now, I need to secure this unaccompanied sonata whose existence I did not even suspect!

[jake]

You can pick up shaham's cd with both the concertos and the sonata. It's a pretty good recording as well. The sonata is a great piece of music.

[Violinflu]

The unaccompanied sonata is great, super fun to play without being incredibly difficult. The Shaham recording is alright... it's the only one I've heard, and I like my interpretation better

Jesse

[Mu0n]

I have to say, I find that Gruenberg violin concerto VERY insipid and uninspired.