Spivakov Schittke

The excellence of the sound on this disc is partly down to Vladimir Spivakov, who has the most amazing tonal quality. Kyung Wha Chung likened Heifetz's tone to the effect of looking at a very beautiful woman; one is awed by it, thrilled in the moment of hearing, wanting never to lose that sense of heightened aesthetic awareness. Such is the effect of Spivakov's playing as well. It comes across admirably thanks to the Capriccio engineers, both here and in his Chausson disc from around the same time. Because it is a small label, and Spivakov rarely heard in Britain, the disc seems to get little attention, but right from the opening moments of the early Ravel sonata (as opposed to the more famous later one) the quality is unmistakeable.

The answer to the question what would post-Oistrakh Soviet Mozart sound like? is Vladimir Spivakov. The answer to the question what does Spivakov's Mozart sound like? is lightly, lively, elegant, and, every once in a while, extremely intense. In these recordings from the late '70s and early '80s of Mozart's violin concertos and Sinfonia Concertante with the English Chamber Orchestra and violist Yuri Bashmet, Spivakov plays and conducts with graceful artistry, consummate virtuosity, and deep humanity. In opening Allegros, Spivakov is airborne in the zephyrs of spring. In the closing Rondos, Spivakov is dancing in the ballrooms of Europe. But sometimes, especially in the central Andantes, Spivakov can sing with an intimacy and intensity that reveal a more profound Mozart, a Mozart touched not only by eternity but by mortality.

Alfred Schnittkes "Suite im alten Stil" hat etwas Verwirrendes: Im Gegensatz zu ähnlichen Werken von Grieg und Strawinsky klingt sie wirklich wie eine barocke Komposition, gebrochen nur durch ein paar romantische Harmonien. Der uninformierte Hörer merkt, dass hier etwas nicht stimmt und dass es sich zumindest um einen recht exzentrischen Barockmeister handeln muss, den man nicht so recht einzuordnen vermag.

Violinist Daniel Lozakovich was already a veteran at 18, having made his debut at age nine and signed to Deutsche Grammophon at 15. It may seem that each year brings a prodigal new violinist, but Lozakovich, a charismatic soul who boxes on the side, bow hand be damned, is one of the best. His Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, is muscular and unafraid of a little gravel in the tone. Sample his finale, a broad, arch-Russian thing where he is ideally backed by his mentor, Vladimir Spivakov, leading the new National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. Lozakovich grabs your attention from the start but never overplays the transitions.

This concerto for orchestra in seven parts, is a beautifully crafted work incorporating Eastern European folk and Jewish melodies. While the subject matter is clearly about the Jews and their suffering up to and including the end of World War 2, the music and melodic themes avoid portrayal of the Nazis.

James Conlon’s suite from Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk collects various scenes, arias, and orchestral interludes into a musical narrative of the opera’s tragic story. Although the first number is entitled “In the court of the Ismailovs”, the suite actually begins with Katerina’s pre-suicide meditation from the final scene before abruptly moving to the rollicking music of Scene 2’s introduction. Two love duets, “Katerina and Sergei” I & II, frame the great orchestral Passacaglia (from Act 2), followed by the comedic “The Drunkard”, which sets up the “Arrival of the Police”. The suite concludes with “In exile”, which contains the opera’s close.

Vladimir Spivakov is known for his Mozart interpretations as a soloist, chamber ensemble member and conductor. In his renditions, Mozart’s concertos, violin sonatas, ensembles, divertimentos, symphonies and masses preserve the combination of lightness and inner depth, youthful naivety and philosophic wisdom which were so characteristic of the great Salzburger. From the first years of his artistic career, Spivakov showed interest in Mozart’s heritage composed in different genres.

This Sony-made 30CD classical music collection covers almost all classical music, from the early Baroque period represented by Bach to the schools of classical music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms represent romantic, national and even modern musical schools led by Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, etc. representative, everything wonderful and vivid.