[.ca] Sibelius, Khachaturian: Violin Concertos

Temperament and Tone:
Though all the usual attributes of a Rosand performance are present --- technique, temperament, and tone --- I can't say these recordings rank in the top third of his many recorded performances. Rosand has been consistently let down by his orchestral partners. The Sibelius, in particular, lacks heft here. The bristling utterances that should reinforce the violin's dramatic statements do not excite; I felt an overall lack of involvement from the orchestra. The Sibelius is rife with passionate themes, and when a first-class string section such as the Philadelphia carries them, you feel it in the gut. If Dylana Jensen could get Ormandy (what a partner!) as a virtual unknown, then where does that leave Mr. Rosand? It's sad. At this stage in his career, Rosand cannot quite generate the whirlwind of sound that placed him in the forefront of his generation, so it is all the more important that he have a strong ally. The Khachaturian comes through much better; the Malaysian group has the necessary mechanical precision to bring it off and the recording is generous with the color. In summary, the Sibelius is worth it only if you want to hear Rosand's ideas on the solo part.

Rosand at his best-again:
No superlatives can do justice to the music-making of Aaron Rosand. Here are more examples: The somewhat somber Sibelius embellished with Rosand's usual romantic touches - simply superb, and an incredible performance of the seldom-heard Khachaturian.

Outstanding new recording:
This is an outstanding new version of these 2 masterpieces. Rosand plays with as much passion as anyone, and the orchestral accompaniments are excellent. At the bargain price this cd is a must.

Great Violinist, So-So Accompaniments:
Be sure to check out the review posted here by Fanfare critic Robert Maxham - his encylopedic knowledge of the violin literature is always most insightful and a pleasure to read. He notes that only Nathan Milstein and perhaps Oscar Shumsky matched Rosand in terms of sheer fiddler longevity. I would humbly submit Szymon Goldberg as yet another example - his superb 1978-79 recordings of Schubert's music for violin and piano, with Radu Lupu, were made when Goldberg was pushing age 70. Goldberg does exhibit some difficulty with the treacherous Fantasie - but then so did Heifetz. I think the old Adolph Busch performance with Rudolph Serkin still reigns supreme in that piece. I feel that Rosand's Khachaturian concerto is the better half of this coupling. Wonderful violin playing despite the rather pedestrian orchestral accompaniment. Charles Munch and the BSO certainly gave Kogan a more sparkling orchestral framework, although Kogan strikes me as a rather inhibited interpreter in this work. Neither Rosand nor Kogan can banish memories of Oistrakh's way with this music, especially the earliest recording with conductor Alexander Gauk. My own favorite is the absolutely electric 1954 live performance by Julian Sitkovetsky and the Romanian Radio Orchestra conducted by Tagy-Zade Nyazi on Russian Disc CD 15009. Sitkovetsky was arguably an even greater violinist than Oistrahk (apparently Oistrakh thought so) who died of lung cancer at age 32. Nyazi was an exceptionally talented conductor whose few recordings are largely forgotten. I can only hope that Supraphon will re-issue on CD Nyazi's great performance of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony with the Czech Philharmonic. Rosand brings great poetry to the Sibelius but here the prosaic orchestral contribution is a major drawback. There is certainly no shortage of great performances to choose from in this work. Neveu, Oistrakh, Barinova and Bustabo all left memorable readings. To my ears, the Heifetz way with this piece justifies Adolph Busch's observation that everything Heifetz played sounded like Glazunov. In some 40 years of record collecting - I still call them records - there were two performances of the Sibelius that seem really special. One was by the Finnish violinist Anja Ignatius; her 1943 recording with conductor Armas Jarnefelt (brother in law of Sibelius) is on Finlandia CD 810 along with Georg Schneevoight's first-ever recording of the Sibelius 6th Symphony with the Helsinki Philharmonic. Ignatius was an excellent but non-virtuoso violinist who brought a unique poetry to her reading. My other favorite performance is the 1953 Julian Sitkovetsky recording with the Czech Philharmoic under Nikolai Anosov; it has appeared on a Supraphon CD called "Giants of the Violin." That disc also includes two Oistrakh items: the Beethoven Romance #2 with Ancerl and the Shostakovich first violin concerto under Kondrashin. The bottom line: Rosand's performances here are excellent and, despite some orchestral limitations, they represent an excellent choice in good sound. But they do not banish memories of some greater performances from yesteryear.

Fanfare Magazine March/April 2001:
At an age at which Heifetz was contemplating retirement and Elman should have been, Aaron Rosand issued a commanding, authoritative recording of the Beethoven and Brahms Concertos (Vox VXP 7902, 22:4). Now, two years later, he has paired a craggy Sibelius with a kinetic Khachaturian, evincing full command of the works' power and exoticism, respectively. Only Milstein and perhaps Shumsky could boast such violinistic longevity (consider, for example, Elman's senescent and deliberate, if genial, reading of Khachaturian's Concerto from his 69th year, which hardly approaches Rosand's in technical assurance). Aaron Rosand's sound has varied little through his recorded career: it's robust and rugged, with a mild acidity that, highlighting almost every note, sets his tone apart from the blander, smoother, and smaller timbres of younger players (and almost every player now is younger). That sound owes a share of its individuality, of course, to the magnificent Kochanski Guarneri of 1741, which, as Rosand says, has been his voice for 43 years; but it's the result of a complex interaction between that violin and a master who undoubtedly could, as Heifetz did, project his individuality through any instrument (having heard Rosand try violins at William Moennig and Son's shop in Philadelphia, I can confirm the stability of his sound, at least in that setting, across platforms). But far from merely luxuriating in his recognizable tone, Rosand laces whatever he performs with strong fiber, an essential toughness that reveals itself as tellingly in lesser-known works like Joachim's Hungarian (Vox CDX 5102) and Arensky's (Vox 7211, 23:4) Concertos, which were for a long time almost his private domain, as in masterworks like Tchaikovsky's Concerto (again Vox 7211) or Bach's Solo Sonatas and Partitas (Vox VXP2 7901, 22:2). Rosand's waves of inspiration lash against granite in the Sibelius Concerto's first movement; he sings warmly in its second (the trace of acid in his tone ensuring that the music won't cloy) and slashes masterfully through the finale's craggy darkness-all the while demonstrating the durability of his tonal and stylistic personality through his 71st year. If Khachaturian's Concerto doesn't provide him as many such opportunities for discovery, he and conductor Kees Bakels engage in a cogent dialogue in the first movement's middle section, and he brings a jazzy cheek to the cadenza's closing passages. The second movement's sprawl may be due more to its materials than its performers; but, in any case, Rosand and Bakels come to life again in the alternately sprightly and brassy finale. The decline in influence of Heifetz's benchmark recordings has freed violinists to invest Sibelius's Concerto with fresh insight; and Rosand's new performance joins recent ones by Maxim Vengerov and Joshua Bell in transfusing new personality into the work. And whether or not Mozart's Emperor would judge that Khachaturian's Concerto has too many notes, Rosand plays each of them with twangy zest. That sizzle sets him apart from violinists like Oscar Shumsky, who, despite-or because of-their unvarnished merit, appeal more to colleagues than to general audiences. By comparison, Rosand's a demagogue, rotund in oratory and resonant in vocal quality. Vox's engineers have provided depth and clarity appropriate to Sibelius' Concerto (but with a close focus on the soloist) and have captured reasonably well Khachaturian's dollops of sound, generously dished out by Bakels and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. All lovers of the violin, and general listeners as well, may count themselves fortunate that Rosand's artistry isn't available only in reissue, and that his playing maintains, or exceeds, a level familiar from his recordings a generation ago. Strongly recommended. Robert Maxham

• Allegro Moderato
• Adagio Di Molto
• Allegro Ma Non Tanto
• Allegro
• Adante Sostenuto
• Allegro Vivace