Goldmark: Violin Concerto No.1; Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen – Itzhak Perlman, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn (2015) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Goldmark: Violin Concerto No.1; Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen – Itzhak Perlman, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/96 kHz | Time – 00:43:08 minutes | 795 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: Qobuz | Digital Booklet | © Warner Classics
Recorded: Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, USA, 14 & 15 January 1977

Itzhak Perlman’s monumental discography is punctuated by rare works such as this concerto by Goldmark. Before Perlman, the only well-known champion of this neglected Romantic work was Nathan Milstein, whose recording with the Philharmonia under Harry Blech (Capitol, 1957), established itself as an unchallenged benchmark. Other illustrious violinists, artists such as Jascha Heifetz, Erica Morini and Zino Francescatti, though susceptible to its charms, had only recorded its superb central Andante, and with piano rather than orchestral accompaniment.

Károly Goldmark (1830-1915) is perhaps the only composer to have been led out to face a firing squad, charged as a dissident in the midst of a revolution. He was, at the time, conductor of the orchestra at the Gyo˝r theatre— an inoffensive role — when the town became caught up in the revolutionary fervour that swept Europe in 1848. Tragedy was averted at the eleventh hour and the eighteen-year-old’s life was spared. The son of a cantor at the synagogue in Keszthely, Goldmark showed exceptional musical talent and was sent to Vienna to study violin and harmony. He composed six operas, several symphonies and many chamber works as well as two violin concertos. Only the first of these was ever published, its Romantic idiom revealing the influences of both Dvorˇák and Mendelssohn. Continuing his collaboration with André Previn, which had begun with the concertos of Mendelssohn and Bruch (see volume 5), and then Bartók (volume 6), Perlman revived Goldmark’s Concerto in A minor, Op.28 exactly a century after its composition (1877). He breathed new life into this work, with its wonderful writing for the soloist, opening the way to later versions committed to disc by Sarah Chang (EMI, 1999) and Joshua Bell (Sony, 1999).

The Carmen Fantasy and Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) are Sarasate’s two best-known works for violin and orchestra. Five years on from his flamboyant recording of the former (see volume 1), Perlman laid down an equally thrilling account of the latter, a work he would record again in 1995 (volume 53). In this genuine Hungarian rhapsody, which follows the conventional lassú-friss pattern — a slow introduction followed by a more rapid section — Sarasate jettisoned the folk traditions of his native Spain in favour of those of Hungary, and in the process presented the virtuosos of his own generation and those to come with one of the most thrilling works in the repertoire. -Jean-Michel Molkhou

Tracklist:

Karoly Goldmark (1830-1915)
Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.28
1 I Allegro moderato 14.39
2 II Andante 6.50
3 III Moderato — Allegretto 12.52

Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)
Zigeunerweisen, Op.20
4 Moderato — Lento — Un poco più lento — Allegro molto vivace 8.47

Personnel:
Itzhak Perlman, violin
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
André Previn, conductor

Download:

mqs.link_GldmarkVilinCncertN.1SarasateZigeunerweisenItzhakPerlmanAndrPrevin2015Qbuz2496.rar