Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov - Beethoven Complete Violin Sonatas

[Snowmonkey]

 

Has anyone tried this new 24/44.1 download from Qobuz?

 

I've been happily motoring along for years with my old David Oistrakh/Lev Oborin Redbook rips, but I'm tempted. I'm very impressed with Isabelle Faust's performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

[Musicophile]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6093[/ATTACH]

 

Has anyone tried this new 24/44.1 download from Qobuz?

 

I've been happily motoring along for years with my old David Oistrakh/Lev Oborin Redbook rips, but I'm tempted. I'm very impressed with Isabelle Faust's performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

Absolutely worth having, one of my favorite versions, especially on the Kreuzer. SQ is very nice, if not outstanding (I unfortunately have the redbook only).

[Snowmonkey]

Thanks Musicophile. That's all the excuse I needed.

[Musicophile]

Thanks Musicophile. That's all the excuse I needed.

It also received a Gramophone award in 2009, if you need more reassurance. It is rather middle of the road, though. If you want more extreme, also check out Kopachinskaja/Say.

[Snowmonkey]

It also received a Gramophone award in 2009, if you need more reassurance. It is rather middle of the road, though. If you want more extreme, also check out Kopachinskaja/Say.

Well the Kreuzer, in particular, lends itself to extreme. I'll check it out. Thanks. Have you heard the Oistrakh/Oborin set and if so, where would you rank it relative to these other versions?

[Musicophile]

Well the Kreuzer, in particular, lends itself to extreme. I'll check it out. Thanks. Have you heard the Oistrakh/Oborin set and if so, where would you rank it relative to these other versions?

No unfortunately. My other sets are Kremer/Argerich which I also really like, especiaoly for Argerich, and Mutter/Orkis, which is more variable in my opinion.

[Fitz Music]

I second the recommendations above (with reservations about Mutter/Orkis) and would like to add Capucon/Braley as a more relaxed alternative to my favorite, Faust/Melnikov, which started me on collecting these compositions.

 

Don't ignore Ibragimova/Tiberghien's live Wigmore Hall recordings, which have the vitality performance before an audience elicits.

 

Oh, and there's the mature understanding of Dumay/Pires, and the faraway, yet satisfying monophonic Schneiderhan/Kempff.

 

I had better stop. They're all better than good.

[Musicophile]

Well the Kreuzer, in particular, lends itself to extreme. I'll check it out. Thanks. Have you heard the Oistrakh/Oborin set and if so, where would you rank it relative to these other versions?

I've now listened to some extracts of the Oistrakh set. My quick summary: get the Faust as fast as you can! Way more energy with Faust and Melnikov.

 

Strange, as I really love Oistrakh on some orchestral recordings, but here as a chamber musician he disappoints me a bit. Or maybe it is Oborin's influence?

 

and PS. With the latest Audirvana and upsampling activated I'm now much more positive on the sound quality.

[Snowmonkey]

Yeah, the only Kopachinskaja/Say sonata I could find for download was the Kreutzer, but comparing samples from the Kreutzer, Faust injects some real passion, making the Oistrakh/Oborin sound a bit too layback by comparison.The Kopachinskaja/Say version, on the other hand, just sounded rushed to me. I've purchased the Faust/Melnikov and it is the clear winner on sound quality too.

Thank you again for your comments, Musicophile and Fitz.

[Musicophile]

Yeah, the only Kopachinskaja/Say sonata I could find for download was the Kreutzer, but comparing samples from the Kreutzer, Faust injects some real passion, making the Oistrakh/Oborin sound a bit too layback by comparison.The Kopachinskaja/Say version, on the other hand, just sounded rushed to me. I've purchased the Faust/Melnikov and it is the clear winner on sound quality too.

Thank you again for your comments, Musicophile and Fitz.

Agree, the Kopachinskaja is special to say the least. I saw her and Say live playing the Kreuzer (barefoot as usual) it was memorable, but recorded Faust Melnikov is the way to go.

[Fitz Music]

Perhaps a useful aside:

 

Faust/Melnikov have also recorded Schubert duos for piano and violin, where they display the same energy and inventiveness they proved in the Beethoven pieces.

[Bob Stern]

I have the Faust/Melnikov Schubert but not the Beethoven. Faust's thin, almost-vibratoless tone is well suited for the ethereal opening of the Schubert Fantasie. For Beethoven I expect I'd want a violinist with more guts and body.

 

For the Beethoven sonatas I enjoy Kremer/Argerich on DG. Kremer is somewhat idiosyncratic and often overly punctuated, but I find him consistently interesting rather than wayward.

 

Oistrakh/Oborin is surprisingly faceless. Fanfare magazine reviewer David K. Nelson felt similarly.

[Musicophile]

I have the Faust/Melnikov Schubert but not the Beethoven. Faust's thin, almost-vibratoless tone is well suited for the ethereal opening of the Schubert Fantasie. For Beethoven I expect I'd want a violinist with more guts and body.

 

For the Beethoven sonatas I enjoy Kremer/Argerich on DG. Kremer is somewhat idiosyncratic and often overly punctuated, but I find him consistently interesting rather than wayward.

 

Oistrakh/Oborin is surprisingly faceless. Fanfare magazine reviewer David K. Nelson felt similarly.

Bob, try the one minute snippet on Qobuz of the first movement of the Kreutzer with Faust. During the slow part, your description of ethereal is very fitting, but you'll also hear that when you get to the presto, her playing is anything but not extremely energetic.

 

As said above, I agree with you on the Kremer/Argerich, but I strongly recommend you give the Faust recording a try.

[Snowmonkey]

Bob, try the one minute snippet on Qobuz of the first movement of the Kreutzer with Faust. During the slow part, your description of ethereal is very fitting, but you'll also hear that when you get to the presto, her playing is anything but not extremely energetic.

 

As said above, I agree with you on the Kremer/Argerich, but I strongly recommend you give the Faust recording a try.

+1

Maybe she just knows when to be ethereal and when to be gutsy.

[Bob Stern]

I discovered that iTunes has 90-second previews, but the only sonata on that album available on iTunes is the Kreutzer.

 

I decided instead to spring for Vadim Repin playing the Kreutzer with Argerich and the concerto with Muti. (I can't find any of the other sonatas with Repin.)

 

Faust/Melnikov is not wispy or ethereal like I feared, and both performers are very interesting, but Faust's phrasing seemed calculated and self-conscious. For example, the contrast between legato and non-legato passages seemed exaggerated. I also felt the fermatas were held so long that everything ground to a halt, but I suppose that's what fermatas are for, so I shouldn't complain.

 

I haven't received the CD yet, but in the 90-second previews Repin seemed much more spontaneous and emotional than Faust. Also, Argerich seemed much more lively and interesting than in her recording with Kremer, although not excessively dramatic or assertive as she sometimes can be, and not overshadowing Repin.

 

Admittedly, it's a bit ridiculous to "review" a performance based on 90-second excerpts. If anyone's interested, I can report back when the Repin CD arrives.

[Snowmonkey]

Attention all "pathological" collectors. Qobuz has the Josef Suk/Jan Panenka 1966-67 complete Beethoven violin sonatas on special right now for €14.27 (16/44.1).