BaL 18.11.23 - Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

18th November 2023
10.30 am
Building a Library: William Mival chooses his favourite recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

When it first appeared on the scene, one influential critic said this concerto “brought us face to face with the revolting thought that music can exist which stinks to the ear”, labelling the last movement “odorously Russian”. But public opinion is in strong disagreement. Nowadays, Tchaikovsky’s evergreen concerto is one of the must uplifting, joyful and popular in the repertoire.

Available versions:-

Karin Adam, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, David Shallon *
Cristina Anghelescu, Craiova Philarmonic Orchestra, Tommaso Placidi *
Michèle Auclair, Österreichisches Symphonieorchester, Kurt Wöss *
Lisa Batiashvili, Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim
Joshua Bell, Cleveland Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy *
Joshua Bell, Berliner Philharmoniker, Michael Tilson Thomas *
Nicola Benedetti, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Jakub Hrusa
Guy Braunstein, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Karabits (SACD)
Vadim Brodsky, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Andrzej Straszynski
Eddy Brown, Berlin Staatsoper Orchestra, Frieder Weissmann *
Alfredo Campoli, London Symphony Orchestra, Ataúlfo Argenta *
Marie Cantagrill, Budapest Concert Orchestra, Tàmàs Gal *
Sarah Chang, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis *
Ray Chen, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding *
Stella Chen, National Orchestra of Belgium, Hugh Wolff
Sarah Christian, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Jeremie Rhorier
Kyung Wha Chung, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Charles Dutoit
Kyung Wha Chung , Berliner Philharmoniker, Carlo Maria Giulini
Kyung Wha Chung, London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn *
Alexandre Da Costa, Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, Marco Parisotto *
Johan Dalene, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Blendulf (SACD)
Mischa Elman, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Mischa Elman, London Phiharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult *
Ning Feng, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Yang Yang (SACD)
Christian Ferras, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan *
Christian Ferras, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Hans Müller-Kray
Christian Ferras, Philharmonia Orchestra, Constantin Silvestri
Julia Fischer, Russian National Orchestra, Yakov Kreizberg *
Zino Francescatti, New York Philharmonic, Thomas Schippers *
Zino Francescatti, Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski *
Vilde Frang, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eivind Gullberg Jensen *
Erick Friedman, London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa *
Christian Funke Staatskapelle, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Vonk *
David Garrett, Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev
Bronislaw Gimpel, Southwest German Radio Orchestra, Rolf Reinhardt
Ivry Gitlis, Vienna Symphony, Heinrich Hollreiser
Vadim Gluzman, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton (SACD)
Midoro Goto, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Philippe Graffin. National Philharmonic Orchestra of Lithuania, Robertas Servenikas
Ilya Gringolts,Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Itzhak Perlman
Arthur Grumiaux, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink *
Arthur Grumiaux, New Philharmonia Orchestra, Jan Krenz
Augustin Hadelich, Vasily Petrenko, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Ida Haendel, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Hans Muller-Kray
Hilary Hahn, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Jascha Heifetz, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner *
Jascha Heifetz, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli
Jascha Heifetz, Philharmonia Orchestra, Walter Susskind *
Susanna Yoko Henkel, Duisburger Philharmoniker, Jonathan *
Philippe Hirschhorn, Bamberger Symphoniker, Ferdinand Leitner
Mariko Honda, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Keith Clark *
Bronislaw Huberman, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *
Bronislaw Huberman, Staatskapelle Berlin, William Steinberg
Václav Hudecek, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Jirí Belohlávek
Shizuka Ishikawa, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Zdenek Kosler *
Yossif Ivanov, Brussels Philharmonic, Damian Iorio
Janine Jansen, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding *
Oleg Kagan, Diansug Kachidze, Alexander Lazarev *
Artur Kaganovskiy, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Philip Greenberg
Ilya Kaler, Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Dmitry Yablonsky
Mayuko Kamio, Hallé Orchestra, Thomas Sanderling *
Nigel Kennedy, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Okko Kamu
Saténik Khourdoïan, La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra, Alain Altinoglu
Yoon-Hee Kim, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth
Leonid Kogan, Grand Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Gauk
Leonid Kogan, Orchestre de la Societé des Concerts du Conservatoire, Constantin Silvestri *
Leonid Kogan, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, André Vandernoot *
Jennifer Koh, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Vedernikov
Patricia Kopatchinskaja, MusicAeterna, Teodor Currentzis *Laurent Korcia (violin)
Henning Kraggerud, Arctic Philharmonic, Christian Kluxen
Gidon Kremer, Berliner Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel *
Georg Kulenkampff, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Arthur Rother *
Moonkyung Lee, London Symphony Orchestra, Miran Vaupotic *
Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Jean-Jacques Kantorow
Daniel Lozakovich, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, Vladimir Spivakov
Mark Lubotsky, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer *
Silvia Marcovici, Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Cristian Mandeal
Ellinor D’Melon, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Jaime Martín
Yehudi Menuhin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay
Nathan Milstein, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado
Nathan Milstein, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Karel Ancerl *
Nathan Milstein, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel *
Nathan Milstein, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Nathan Milstein, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg
Nathan Milstein, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Frederick Stock
Erica Morini, RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay
Erika Morini, French National Radio Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein *
Erika Morini, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthur Rodzinski
Erika Morini, New York Philharmonic, Igor Stravinsky
Erika Morini, New York Phiharmonic, George Szell *
Viktoria Mullova, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa *
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Wiener Philharmoniker, Andre Previn *
Sarah Nemtanu, Orchestre National de France, Kurt Masur *
Kurt Nikkanen, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Simonov *
Ricardo Odnoposoff, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Walter Goehr *
David Oistrakh, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Rudolf Kempe *
David Oistrakh, Stockholm Festival Orchestra, Paul Kletzki *
David Oistrakh, USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin *
David Oistrakh, Staatskapelle Dresden, Franz Konwitschny
David Oistrakh, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra *
David Oistrakh, USSR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky *
David Oistrakh, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
David Oistrakh, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczweski
Igor Oistrakh, London Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos *
Igor Oistrakh, Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française, Jean Martinon *
Igor Oistrakh, Pro Arte Orchestra, Wilhelm Schüchter *
Sergey Ostrovsky, Orquesta Reino de Aragón, Ricardo Casero *
Regis Pasquier, Baltic Chamber Orchestra, Emmanuel Leducq-Barome *
Itzhak Perlman, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf *
Itzhak Perlman, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta *
Itzhak Perlman, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Itzhak Perlman, London Symphony Orchestra, Alfred Wallenstein *
Ivan Pochekin, Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev
Ruth Posselt, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Richard Burgin
Michael Rabin, Oslo-Filharmonien, Øivin Fjeldstad
Nemanja Radulovic, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Sascha Goetzel
Vadim Repin, Kirov Orchestra, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev *
Vadim Repin, Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Arnold Katz *
Vadim Repin, London Symphony Orchestra, Emmanuel Krivine *
Ruggiero Ricci, Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Kees Bakels *
Ruggiero Ricci, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Jean Fournet *
Ruggiero Ricci, New Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Aaron Rosand, Orchestre de Luxembourg, Louis de Froment
Linus Roth, London Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Sanderling *

continued in post 2

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

(continued)

Benjamin Schmid, Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra, Tibor Bogányi
Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vaclav Talich *
Gil Shaham, Singapore Symphony Orchestera, Lan Shui
Nelli Shkolnikova, Philharmonia Orchestra, Geoffrey Simon *
Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Baiba Skride, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons *
Vladimir Spivakov, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Zdenek Kosler *
Vladimir Spivakov, Philarmonia Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa *
Tossy Spivakovsky, London Symphony Orchestra, Walter Goehr *
Tossy Spivakovsky, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Nils Grevillius
Arabella Steinbacher, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Charles Dutoit (SACD)
Isaac Stern, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein *
Isaac Stern, Philadelphia Orchestra, Alexander Hilsberg *
Isaac Stern, Orchestre National de France, Kiril Kondrashin
Isaac Stern, Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Isaac Stern, Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *
Isaac Stern, Washington National Symphony Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich *
Akiko Suwanai, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vilmos Szabadi, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest, Yuri Simonov *
Henryk Szeryng, London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati *
Henryk Szeryng, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch *
Gerhard Taschner, Berliner Philharmoniker, Arthur Rother *
Christian Tetzlaff, Russian National Orchestra, Kent Nagano *
Uto Ughi, London Symphony Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling *
Emmy Verhey, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Arpád Joó *
Giocconda de Vito, Orchestra Sinfonica di Torino della RAI, Mario Rossi *
Takayoshi Wanami, Philharmonia Orchestra, Anatole Fistoulari *
Janusz Wawrowski, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Grzegorz Nowak
Xue Wei, Philharmonia Orchestra, Salvatore Accardo
Antje Weithaas, Camerata Bern
Camilla Wicks, Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter *
Endre Wolf, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Jensen
Esther Yoo, Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy *
Soyoung Yoon , Gorzów Philharmonic Orchestra, Piotr Borkowski *
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Manfred Honeck *
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Berliner Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel

* = download only

[mikealdren]

Another impossibly long list but I hope they consider more yesterday's New World BaL. Interesting how many times some violinists have recorded it and how many versions are still available and yet the following aren't:

Fodor, Eugene New Philharmonia Orchestra Leinsdorf, Erich
Francescatti, Zino New York Philharmonic Orchestra Mitropoulos, Dimitris
Grumiaux, Arthur New Philharmonia Orchestra Davis, Colin
Grumiaux, Arthur Vienna Symphony Orchestra Leskovic, Bogo
Haendel, Ida Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Goossens, Eugene
Kogan, Leonid USSR State Radio Nebolsine, Vassily
Gotō, Midori Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Abbado, Claudio
Oistrakh, David Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Mar, Norman Del
Oistrakh, David London Philharmonic Orchestra Shostakovich, Maxim
Příhoda, Váša North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Austin, Richard
Rabin, Michael Philharmonia Orchestra Galliera, Alceo
Vengerov, Maxim Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Abbado, Claudio

[Pulcinella]

Third attempt at trying to contribute to this thread.

Alison will be shocked to learn that there has so far not been a BBC MM CD release containing this work.



Milstein/VPO/Abbado and Nishizaki/Slovak PO/Jean (Naxos, c/w the Mendelssohn; nla it would appear) here.

PS: This time it worked; temporary blip!

PPS: The Naxos release I have appears to be still available:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7949025--mendelssohn-tchaikovsky-violin-concertos

[Ein Heldenleben]

Another impossibly long list but I hope they consider more yesterday's New World BaL. Interesting how many times some violinists have recorded it and how many versions are still available.

Could Issac Stern, Milstein and Oistrakh just not get it right ?

[smittims]

I've always been intrigued to know why neither Kreisler nor Menuhin commited this work to disc (there is a broadcast tape of Menuhin on CD) when it would surely have suited both of them.

As always , I've found it hard when hearing a new version to suspend memories of Heifetz/Barbirolli, which I listened to repeatedly in my teens, though recently Elman/Boult has replaced it in my affection. It had a long sojourn on 'Ace of Clubs'. The most recent I have is Midori/Abbado, from 1995.

[pastoralguy]

I've always been intrigued to know why neither Kreisler nor Menuhin commited this work to disc (there is a broadcast tape of Menuhin on CD) when it would surely have suited both of them.

As always , I've found it hard when hearing a new version to suspend memories of Heifetz/Barbirolli, which I listened to repeatedly in my teens, though recently Ricci/Boult has replaced it in my affection. It had a long sojourn on 'Ace of Clubs'. The most recent I have is Midori/Abbado, from 1995.

Menuhin in his autobiography claimed he rather tired of it having played it a lot in his teens and early twenties. I have a recording of him playing it in the Menuhin ‘big box’ but, imvho, it’s not terribly convincing. In fact, there’s a lot of works in that set that are not great simply because Menuhin’s technique just wasn’t up to the demands. (And I say that with reverence ).

[pastoralguy]

My very favourite recording is Igor Oistrakh with his father conducting the Moscow Radio Orchestra that was released in the early 70’s. It’s never been released on cd although I had a cd made from an open reel tape that cost an arm and a leg! Worth every penny!

[Bryn]

The Pat Kop entry in the list looks to be in need of an edit. What is "Laurent Korcia (violin)" doing, tagged onto the end?

[french frank]

The Pat Kop entry in the list looks to be in need of an edit. What is "Laurent Korcia (violin)" doing, tagged onto the end?

Supposed to go before the Liège RPO/Kantarow, I assume?

[pastoralguy]

There’s another Igor Oistrakh recording with Kirill Kondrashin conducting The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra that was recorded live in Tokyo on the 20th of April 1967. It’s on the Altus label and is part of a collection entitled Kondrashin in Japan. It’s absolutely incredible playing! One of the jewels of my collection.

[akiralx]

Nemanja Radulovic, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under Sascha Goetzel on DG - currently my favourite and well reviewed by Gramophone, though I suspect it may not be mentioned...

[CallMePaul]

As this is a piece where soloists often make cuts in the finale and/or alter what Tchaikovsky wrote, will WM be detailing which violinists play what the composer actually wrote, complete?

[mikealdren]

Nemanja Radulovic, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under Sascha Goetzel on DG - currently my favourite and well reviewed by Gramophone, though I suspect it may not be mentioned...

Just come across him after hearing a track on ClassicFM, a real character!

[Darloboy]

Last covered by BaL by Edward Greenfield in June 1987 but I don't know what he recommended on that occasion.

In February 1979, Andrew Keener chose Belkin/New Philharmonia condicted by Ashkenazy with the following as also recommended: Milstein/Pittsburgh SO/Steinberg + Fujikawa/Rotterdam PO/de Waart + Oistrakh/Moscow PO/Rozhdestvensky