Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole; Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto; Ravel: Tzigane; Maxim Vengerov

The russian violonist respond with rare vigour to this french program. The "Symphonie espagnole ", which is more like a violin concerto, is the most joyful piece with a vigorus intermezzo. But you must hear the "Tzigane" from Ravel. Transcendant virtuosity beginnning with a long vitriolic and acid solo phrase (the orchestra directed by the excellent Antonio Papano will only begin at 3'52 minutes !), this piece will go directly to your soul. Be prudent;this is not easy music. Far more difficult to appreciate than it was the case in the Britten or Walton concertos. Vengerov, in playing wonderfully this French program, proves he's able to play anything with his heart, a rare instinct, and with full intensity. We are very far away from the the "pink pieces of candy" recorded with the title "Vengerov and Vittuosi" (with Vag Papian at the piano - I hate this Cd ).Here, you will have to work with your heart and your brain to enjoy most of the pieces; and I liked this exercice; truly tough! Vengerov gives me the opportunity to practice my tolerance with this acid Tzigane.Viva Ravel ! Viva Vengerov! Vive "les Francais"!

After listening to older recordings by Oistrakh and especially Kogan who recorded S.E. twice, I was a bit let down by this recording. It almost sounds as if Vengerov and Pappano are trying too hard although there are some stirring and dramatic passages but for me it just doesn't hold together as well interpretively or acoustically as the golden age recordings. Worth owning for comparison especially if you love these two impassioned works.

This music suggested to me by a friend,,,beautiful album...excellent and a pleasure to listen to. Has become a favorite of mine.

Edouard Lalo's 'Symphonie Espagnole' and Camille Saint-Saens' Violin Concerto #3 were comissioned by violin virtuoso and composer Pablo Sarasate, known for the beauty and sweetness of his tone, the ease with which he played even the highest notes on his instrument, and his stunning technique. Since the great young Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov not only shares these qualities, but adds to them both heart and superb imagination, he is an obvious choice to record these French masterpieces. However, largely because I am well aware of just how much competition Vengerov has from just about every other great violinist who ever lived and recorded, I have balked at buying many of his CDs, especially of very standard works, because I wanted to 'shop around' to find my favorite renditions and not have the many duplicates I do of operas and operatic recitals. I'm sure many classical music lovers have the same problem. Vengerov's jaw-dropping Britten/Walton album earlier this year, however, made me decide to at least listen to, if not actually buy, every CD he records in the future, and if necessary replace them if I like another violinist's rendition better. The other major factor in my decision to buy this CD was my eagerness to hear the great Antonio Pappano conduct purely orchestral as opposed to the operatic and vocal repertory he is more famous for. The partnership of these two brilliant, passionate and charismatic artists was just too good an opportunity to pass up.And it truly is a partnership. In this expressive, dramatic, perhaps truly `operatic' music, Pappano proves to be just as supportive to instrumental soloists as he is to singers; he and the Philharmonia hang on Vengerov's every note. Considering just how many liberties a violinist can take in these works, that can't have been easy! As usual, Pappano is superb in building tension to dramatic climaxes and giving the music real punch and elan. Even more importantly, one of Pappano's specialties is coaxing gorgeous, radiant sound from orchestral strings sections (most noticeable here in the Saint-Saens) - all the more extraordinary considering he is a pianist and not a violinist! Vengerov indicated in recent interviews that he and the conductor have formed a very ardent mutual admiration society, and this is obvious listening to this album.Throughout the program, Vengerov plays a 1727 Stradivarius that belonged to the legendary violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer (of Beethoven's `Kreutzer Sonata' fame), and he is more than worthy of this magical instrument. Best of all, it is clear that he is having a very good time! Vengerov has played these pieces from his early childhood and as he says in his booklet essay, they evoke strong feelings of nostalgia in him. They also clearly inspire his imagination, his expressivity, and his strong sense of drama.In the 'Symphonie Espagnole', the violinist becomes a swaggering toreador in the first movement, a sprightly and good-humored seducer in the second, a strong, passionate dancer in the third and a serious, sad man (perhaps in mourning?) in the fourth. The famous final Rondo movement is a triumph of joy and energy, and note also the way Pappano handles the crescendo and decrescendo at its start.The highlight of the disc, however, is the second movement of the Saint-Saens. This is Vengerov's favorite part of the concerto and he is absolutely sublime, making his violin sing with such purity and sweetness that one may cry. I am reminded of the Largo from the Bach Double Violin Concerto; as Vengerov gets higher and higher and softer and softer, it is as if one is ascending to some higher, ecstatic dimension (as he puts it, 'the music melts little by little, taking us to other planets, stars, spheres'). The contrastingly zingy outer movements of the concerto are played with equal aplomb.Maurice Ravel wrote 'Tzigane' for the Hungarian violinist Jelly D'Aranyi, who inspired him by her spectacular playing of Gypsy melodies at a party. It is intended as a showpiece and Vengerov more than delivers. From the long, spare, and incredibly difficult solo cadenza (the orchestra doesn't come in for almost four minutes) to the bewildering pyrotechnics that conclude the piece, this Russian violinist obviously feels a strong kinship with the Gypsies this piece evokes, and so does his Italian-British-American conductor.EMI's sound engineering is at its usual high standard, although some may complain that the violinist is placed too far forward. In addition to Vengerov's comments, the documentation also consists of a fine essay on the three works by Robert Orledge (both in English, French, and German), and portraits of all the composers. It is a pity that EMI provides no biographies of either Vengerov or Pappano.I am not the expert on violinists and violin repertory that I am the human voice, so unlike some who may review this disc, I cannot say with any degree of authority whether or not it is 'the best'. Nevertheless, Vengerov's (and Pappano's!) renditions of the works recorded here are so superb that they are a perfect introduction for listeners new to the works or those who want them in modern sound, and I imagine that even many who collect violin recordings will find little to fault about them.

I now have two copies of this recording, one on the EMI label and one on the Warner Classics label (Warner acquired EMI Classics). Both recordings have a 3 second drop out at the beginning of the Lalo Symphonie espagnole clearly a manufacturing defect.

I'm not a great fan of Ravel's "Tzigane." It's like a cake crammed with all the goodies that the cook can put his or her hands on and just sounds a bit too forced to me. If you have a higher tolerance than I have for the piece, this recording won't disappoint you -- great fiddling, with all the tricks of the trade shown off in their proper places, and (as with everything else on the disc) an excellent balance between violin and orchestra, with plenty of presence for both without anything being too close up. The Saint-Saens Concerto No.3 is given a lovely performance, with the great middle movement, which has the feel of a barcarolle, particularly affecting. The whole concerto has plenty of variety, and it's very well orchestrated, and Pappano and Vengerov handle the transitions beautifully. I find the final movement a bit anti-climactic after the first two, but it doesn't lack thematic variety (almost being a little mini-concerto in itself) and Vengerov plays it with total commitment. The unqualifiedly great piece on the disc, to my ears, is the Lalo "Symphonie Espagnole." The sheer inventiveness of the "Spanish" material is amazing, and yet it's put together in the individual movements to give each its distinct character. The writing for the orchestra, in color as well as rhythm, is equally enchanting, and we are never far from the spirit of the dance. The slow movement doesn't have the emotional pull of the Saint-Saens -- it's a bit cooler -- but the richness and weight of the orchestral lead-in is almost alone worth the price of the set. Throughout the program, Vengerov doesn't put a foot wrong, and Pappano and the Philharmonia don't either.These are all popular pieces, and there are other excellent recordings -- I'm partial to Lin's Saint-Saens with Tilson Thomas -- but really, this is as good as anything out there.

This is a first rate recording , Pappano playing is superb. If you have not got this recording in your collection I suggest you purchase it!

Une bonne idée que celle de consacrer un enregistrement de musique concertante française pour violon. Les oeuvres choisies ici sont en effet très belles. On retrouve un Vengerov fidèle à lui même: sa technique faite d'aisance lui permet tout, notamment une belle expressivité et aussi parfois une certaine démonstrativité (on se méfiera des excès en ce domaine). Prise de son réussie dans un espace réverbéré bien contrôlé (pas de coloration excessive des timbres) et privilégiant la définition et la dynamique au détriment d'une image stereo manquant parfois un peu de précision. Un bon disque cependant.

On n'entrera pas dans la polémique du "faut-il mélanger les compositeurs et disséquer les oeuvres?" et l'on se concentrera sur l'excellence de l'interprétation des morceaux sélectionnés pour cet album. Le choix en est judicieux, et le "tzigane" de Ravel en guise de final est extraordinaire.Comment ça, il n'est pas encore dans votre discothèque? Mais qu'attendez-vous?!

Produit conforme a sa description, de bonne qualité et prix compétitif. Je recommande.

La réunion, sur un même CD,des oeuvres de ces trois compositeurs, témoigne de leur quasi connivence : c'était "évidemment" ce disque qu'il fallait graver. L'interprétation ne donne pas dans le sensationnalisme : elle est aussi "ce qu'il fallait" (sans plus). Bref, on entre dans l'écoute aisément, comme familièrement.