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Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526

Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526 Sales Rank : 4070

[ Information ]

Artist : Hilary Hahn Zhu
Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0028947755722
ItemDimensions : hundredths-pounds 22
Label : Deutsche Grammophon
Manufacturer : Deutsche Grammophon
NumberOfDiscs : 1
OriginalReleaseDate : 2005-01-01
ProductGroup : Music
Publisher : Deutsche Grammophon
ReleaseDate : 2005-10-11
Studio : Deutsche Grammophon
Title : Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526
UPC : 028947755722

Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526

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Audio CD ［ Deutsche Grammophon ］［ Release Date : 2005 / 10 / 11 ］
EAN : 0028947755722 / ASIN : B0009JAENU
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

・ Bach: Partitas for Solo Violin
・ Bach: Violin & Voice
・ Bach Concertos
・ Schoenberg Violin Concerto Op.36/Sibelius Violin Concerto Op.47
・ Hilary Hahn ~ Beethoven - Violin Concerto · Bernstein - Serenade

Amazon.com

Hilary Hahn is a splendid violinist, with an easy, flawless technique and a tone of pristine purity. She has already gained a reputation as a singularly serious performer; even her photographs show her in strikingly thoughtful poses. Indeed, her approach to the four Mozart sonatas on this recording seems to be almost too thoughtful: everything is so carefully planned that there is no room for imagination or spontaneity. Her tone is invariably beautiful but never varies in color or intensity; shifts of mood and character are heralded with tempo changes, ritards, breaks, and long pauses, even when Mozart clearly indicates a connection, as in the Finale of the Sonata K. 526. The ensemble with her long-time friend and partner Natalie Zhu is excellent, but they seem to have agreed to disagree on certain points, such as the execution of trills and ornaments, and the articulation of short notes: Hahn's playing is rounder and more lyrical, Zhu's brisker and more pointed. Both follow the current trend of superimposing dynamics and contrasts on the written score, as if they did not trust the music to speak for itself, but this only results in fussiness and a loss of continuity and simplicity. However, the balance is so good that the interchange between more and less prominent voices comes out perfectly. --Edith Eisler

Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526

User Reviews [ Avarege ( 22 people) :

5.0stars ]

" A Labor of Love " (Karl W. Nehring )

5stars

Listening to these two marvelously talented young women play this delightful music is an occasion for great joy. To hear both of them not only playing their parts but also listening to each other for inspiration is to hear the music of Mozart not as something more than 200 years old, but as something very much alive today.

Those new to classical music often start with large-scale forms--symphonies and concertos. There are also great rewards to be found in the more intimate forms, such as the violin sonatas included in this program. I have listened to recordings of sonatas where it sounded as though the performers were trying to make some sort of academic point; however, listening to these performers made me think that their agenda was simply to get together and play music that they loved to play. How fortunate we are to be able to taste the fruits of that labor of love! To all music fans, I recommend this recording, but especially to those who feel they could use a little comfort and joy in their too-busy lives.

(Review Date : 2009-07-08 )

" Great music and play in excellent recording " (C. Lee )

5stars

This CD has been my favorite since I had it 2 years ago. I bought a few to give out as gifts to my friends. Hahn's performance is superb in this CD and Zhu deserves high praise for her impeccable play that balances with Hahn's. The duo play in styles and quality that I see a great fit with Mozart's.

The sound quality of this CD is so good that a mediocre bookshelf system could please your ears. It's not a well-known piece among Mozart's many popular works, but surely the CD should bring lasting joy and enjoyment to any people who like classic music, no matter their years of listening.

(Review Date : 2009-03-16 )

" There is no fault but no fun. " (K. MIURA )

4stars

Mozart's Violin Sonatas of Hahn is too clean instead of the unpleasantness of Anne-Sophie Mutter, and there is no fault but no fun in Hahn's Mozart. I think that it is not more than the average point, though played well in K. 304 and with a rise in K. 526. It is easier to listen more than Szeryng and Haebler, but it doesn't reach far from Mark Steinberg & Mitsuko Uchida Mozart: Sonatas for Piano & Violin in F Major, K. 377; C Major, K. 303; E Minor, K. 304; A Major, K. 526 in interest.

Natalie Zhu is good.

Recorded in 2004.

(Review Date : 2008-09-30 )

" smooth as silk " (David Douglass )

5stars

There's a natural fit between these performers and Mozart that is delightful. There is a balance that needs to be struck: not too timid (lest Mozart sound like a bore) and not too course (lest Mozart not sound beautiful). Here we have it: performances that are alive and exude grace at the same time.

(Review Date : 2008-09-20 )

" Marvelous Mozart! Hahn and Zhu are superb! " (Merlin )

5stars

One can only imagine what Wolfgang heard in his mind when he wrote this.

I imagine it sounded just like this.

(Review Date : 2008-04-14 )

[ See more user reviews (22 reviews here) ]

Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526

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Bach: Partitas for Solo Violin / SalesRank : 30120

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Composer:Johann Sebastian Bach

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Average Customer Review :

5.0stars [ See more reviews ]
Despite an obvious effort to scale back on use of vibrato, there's still too much. Thankfully, Hahn's vibrato isn't as intrusive and ugly as others like Mutter and Menuhin, so we can still hear the music, and it truly is a brilliant performance.

I'd love to hear her revisit these pieces in a few years' time.

Despite an obvious effort to scale back on use of vibrato, there's still too much. Thankfully, Hahn's vibrato isn't as intrusive and ugly as others like Mutter and Menuhin, so we can still hear the music, and it truly is a brilliant performance.

I'd love to hear her revisit these pieces in a few years' time.

4stars - "Waiting for her best performances" (R. F. Smit)
It scarcely seems possible that someone as young as this performer at the time of recording can have captured so much of the inner life of the music above and beyond mere technique. The violin sings.

It scarcely seems possible that someone as young as this performer at the time of recording can have captured so much of the inner life of the music above and beyond mere technique. The violin sings.

5stars - "The violin sings" (John Alsop)

I have only been listening to nine different recordings of these works, so I am in fact a complete novice in the field (and no musicologist at all), all the same I will try to give short comments on these nine interpretations that just might help you to choose which set you want to buy.

My personal favourite is no doubt John Holloway's recording (on ECM). When I first heard it I had only been listening to Shlomo Mintz (on DG) and Hilary Hahn (on Sony), so I feared the great Ciaccona/Chaconne of BWV 1004, because both of those artists' interpretations of that movement sounded like musical warfare, full of shrieks and noises. But Hallelujah! Guess what happened? The movement made sense to me for the first time - in Holloway's hands it is actually music! And the rest of the set also sparkles in Holloway's recording. What is so special about Holloway's version is that it has an almost spiritual, metaphysical aspect to it that nobody else achieves. It is a recording full of sublime transcendental beauty. That aspect of course is emphasized by the wonderful church acoustics (another great Manfred Eicher production from ECM). The booklet contains a performer's note and a few facsimile pages of Bach's beautiful handwritten score. If you are looking for just one recording, you don't really have to read further - I recommend that you buy Holloway's set.

If you have not bought Holloway's set yet, I have to say a little more about Mintz and Hahn: The aggressive approach in Mintz' Ciaccona/Chaconne is more or less present throughout Mintz' recording and in my opinion his playing does not quite justify it - it is "agitated" without having a reason to be so. If you want the sort of expressive power which Mintz is trying to put into these works Nathan Milstein (on DG) is a better option (NB: There is an earlier recording from EMI which I am not reviewing here). The problem with Hahn is that you are more impressed than moved; she plays fast - some might even say that she is superficial and skates over the essentials. Hahn also has a tendency to romanticize in the slow movements. Besides it is not a complete recording, she only plays half the works (BWV 1004, 1005 and 1006). However, her version of BWV 1006 is probably my favourite because of its exquisite, exuberant brilliance that fits that partita well.

Sigiswald Kuijken (on DHM) is almost as good as Holloway and he almost reaches Holloway's metaphysical heights, but his Ciaccona/Chaconne is not entirely perfect, it sounds like separate movements put together rather than as a whole. The performance has rougher edges than Holloway's, which can be a good thing. (NB: I am reviewing the 2001 release from DHM not the earlier release on the same label.)

Viktoria Mullova (on Onyx) and Rachel Podger (on Channel) are more down to earth than Holloway, but they both play beautifully. Maybe Podger is a somewhat overrated performer of Bach's music for solo violin. Her recording has been praised by numerous critics and it is so beautiful that I would like to like it more, but isn't it just a little bit boring? I am listening to it right now and again I get this sort of feeling: "Yes, it is beautiful, but why am I listening to it?" That question answers itself when I listen to Holloway or Kuijken. With Kuijken and Holloway playing the music explains itself, it says: "I will just explain how this sounds." If you are looking for clarity and serenity choose Mullova. Make sure you buy the new Onyx set not the old Philips release!

If you want the slow movements played slow and the rest played beautifully by a young talented violinist Julia Fischer (on Pentatone) should be your choice.

Henryk Szeryng's first recording (on Sony) from 1955 is very serious and intense, a haunting (but also demanding) experience. Szeryng later made another recording for DG but I have not heard it (yet). Of course you should expect less than perfect sound on a recording that is more than fifty years old.

Mullova, Kuijken, Podger and Holloway play period instruments.

Szeryng, Mintz, Milstein, Hahn and Fischer play modern instruments.

4stars - "A personal comparison of various recordings of Bach's Partitas and Sonatas for Solo Violin" (Rasmus Oerndrup)
This is an absolutely wonderful performance. I've only had it 2 weeks and have listened to it at least 15 times.

This is an absolutely wonderful performance. I've only had it 2 weeks and have listened to it at least 15 times.

5stars - "Glorious Performance!" (Gregory A. Vaut)
This is one of the best strictly Bach CDs of the violin ever recorded...and it was recorded by teenager. She is amazing.

This is one of the best strictly Bach CDs of the violin ever recorded...and it was recorded by teenager. She is amazing.

5stars - "Love Hilary's Bach" (Shaun Broderick)

Bach: Violin & Voice / SalesRank : 2476

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Bach: Violin & Voice
Composer:Johann Sebastian Bach Performer:Matthias Goerne Performer:Christine Schafer

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Audio CD [ Deutsche Grammophon ] [ Release : 2010 / 01 / 12 ]
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Average Customer Review :

4.0stars [ See more reviews ]
The quality and value of this product is excellent, the purchase was a gift and it was very much appreciated.

5stars - "CD review" (Elmer A. Bontrager)

I'm a musician/singer and saw the 6 minute video of Hilary and friends on YouTube. I loved it immediately. All of the participants were top-drawer, and seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. I had to have the CD. I play it over and over - basking in the joy that the performers take in playing/singing Bach. Hilary Hahn has a formidable technique and a radiant tone. Her bowing is exceptional as is her intonation. (I'm not a violinist, but as a singer, pianist, and teacher, I am acutely aware of some of the less than perfect pitches that abound. The singers are both wonderful - beautiful voices, great facility and musicianship and superb Bach interpreters. The orchestra sounds great, and the cellist, oboist, and organist can be praised for their crucial contributions to the whole. The conductor gives the solo instruments and singers the ideal support and tempi. (With one exception which I found a bit too fast - but that's just my personal issue. I would have found it difficult to breathe at that tempo.)All in all, I heartily recommend this CD and commend Hilary Hahn for coming up with the idea.

5stars - "Bach at His Best" (Peggy E. Skarry)

With so many artists re-treading the same ground in classical music-- endless recordings of the same popular warhorses, especially by violinists-- Hilary Hahn is charting her own path. First, these are not overly-recorded pieces: a couple selections from the St Matthew Passion and Mass in B Minor, plus a bunch of cantatas. Second, no other recording of these pieces (I listened to a bunch for sake of comparison) sound anything like Hahn's-- she places the violin and voices front and center for this recording, regardless of where Bach's sheet music and previous recordings place them in the orchestral mix, and that's a great thing. Third, Hahn continues her musical journey with this album, applying her signature style (clean, fast, crisp... dare I say, American?) to music that's never been recorded with that kind of violin sound.

In sum, this is new music. Which is exactly what classical music needs.

Baritone Matthias Goerne and soprano Christine Schäfer are stellar. Hahn shines. It's a great album. Looking forward to Hahn's recording of Jennifer Higdon's violin concerto.

4stars - "This music has never sounded like this before" (Erik Ketzan)

Toss three well-known musicians into a studio with minimal rehearsal, and this is what you get. The participants sound bored stiff, particularly Hahn. I'm generally a fan of her playing, but here she is monochromatic and inexpressive. Schaefer is clearly over the hill, and Goerne sounds indisposed.

All of these artists have done much better work elsewhere - both they, and Bach deserve better than this mishmash of "bleeding hunks", perfunctorily performed.

1stars - "Major label foolishness at its worst." (Bill)

Poor ensemble at times, a thin orchestral timbre, dreadful tuning and wobbly technique from Christine Schaefer, and (dare I say it) a rather hoarse version of Matthias Goerne's once-lovely basso! Plus I find Hilary Hahn's playing utterly uninteresting. Who's to blame for such a botch-up, I wonder? Goerne has recorded some of the most mellifluous Bach ever, and though he's not ostensibly an "early music" specialist, he's shown great sensitivity to historically informed performance practices. Schaefer, I fear, just doesn't know much about such practices, or else she doesn't have the vocal technique to execute them. In any case, this would be my choice for least appealing 'topselling' CD of the year.

2stars - "Sorry! But Not Very Good at All!" (Giordano Bruno)

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Composer:Johann Sebastian Bach Conductor:Jeffrey Kahane Orchestra:Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

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Average Customer Review :

3.5stars [ See more reviews ]
I am quite sure that Hilary has the technique to play any piece every written for violin, however what is required for Bach is a sense of phrasing and nuance that I am not hearing on this recording. The fast movements are too fast and feel mechanical. I would be curious to hear her play these pieces again when she is older and has a few more life experiences to reflect in her music.

I am quite sure that Hilary has the technique to play any piece every written for violin, however what is required for Bach is a sense of phrasing and nuance that I am not hearing on this recording. The fast movements are too fast and feel mechanical. I would be curious to hear her play these pieces again when she is older and has a few more life experiences to reflect in her music.

2stars - "Slow down and relax please" (Moses Sedler)
Well wat can I say about it. Hillary Hahn is a good violist, maybe not the absolute best but certainly good enough to be a top soloist. But something did went wrong with this recording, its way to fast. And thats about everything you can say about it.

Well wat can I say about it. Hillary Hahn is a good violist, maybe not the absolute best but certainly good enough to be a top soloist. But something did went wrong with this recording, its way to fast. And thats about everything you can say about it.

3stars - "Technically ok, but way too fast" (Stefan)

Tasteless, dry, anti musical performance by Hahn. The people who enjoy this CD are probably the one who like to masturbate looking at CD's cover... or they are robots who like electronic music.
Any other recording of Bach Concertos would be better... I actually saw better show by a street violinist in Berlin, maybe Deutsche Gramophon should consider that... And I haven't start talking about her vibrato in the slow movements yet - High School Grade!
Terrible!
And why is she so much in a hurry? Maybe because she doesn't know how to enjoy Bach, or maybe if she slows down she can find that there is a lot more music that she can't understand...
I guess with performances like this, the classical music is really going to its end...

1stars - "The worst performed recorded Bach EVER" (Alexander D. Natchev)

Hilary Hahn comes not only as genius, she's a kind of scholar of the violin; precocious and impeccably able. The sound of her fiddle is indeed something worth pursuing. The instrument she uses here is made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris 1864. Sumptuous sound, and a performance choice made with characteristic elan. I agree with the reviewers who've noted well the atmospherics of this violin. That said, the Bach is fast and scarcely shapely. It's interesting to me that while Hahn is young enough to dare to drive the dance out of Bach, she remains at the same time abundantly musical in all things but tempi. That draws me up short, enough so I'm willing to cede her a true praise and respect even for a recording this unnecessarily tempermental. The protean energy of Bach lies deep within the comely shape of his music; artifice of tempo can neither disguise that forming energy nor supplant it. I long for Hahn to completely find this inner truth of music. But - I'm 57 and if I know music well, perhaps too well sometimes. It's enough to hear wondrous playing like this even in the face of perhaps some musical diminishment, and I say only perhaps. Hahn brings a quite sophisticated joy to music making, and youth and courage, and not a little scholarship - it's a marvel. What's to criticize? I'll listen many times to this Bach, and pray the inordinate sheen never wears away. An extra star for that incredible Vuillaume brings it to 4stars!

4stars - "an old guy's 2cents" (J. Anderson)
Bach played by Hilary Hahn is indeed one of the finest interpretations of a great composer. Her sound transmits music maturity. This is a good choice if you enjoy Bach and graceful interpretation.

Bach played by Hilary Hahn is indeed one of the finest interpretations of a great composer. Her sound transmits music maturity. This is a good choice if you enjoy Bach and graceful interpretation.

5stars - "One of the best contemporary violinists plays bach" (Andrei Bacs)

Schoenberg Violin Concerto Op.36/Sibelius Violin Concerto Op.47 / SalesRank : 14014

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Schoenberg Violin Concerto Op.36/Sibelius Violin Concerto Op.47
Composer:Sibelius Composer:Schoenberg Performer:Hilary Hahn

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Audio CD [ DG ] [ Release : 2008 / 04 / 08 ]
EAN : 0028947773467 / ASIN : B0011WMWUW
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Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

This DG disc where Hilary Hahn performs violin concertos by Sibelius and Schoenberg caused something of a sensation when it appeared in 2008. The American violinist's sexy looks and marketing juggernaut succeeded in doing what a massive musical talent alone probably couldn't have: making fairly ordinary listeners gush about one of Schoenberg's atonal works. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Swedish RSO.

I'm not much of a fan of the Romantic era, but Jean Sibelius' Violin Concerto (1903) is a piece I often can't stop listening to. Though the Finnish composer's music was not yet as organic as it was to be a decade later, the development in this piece is a mighty flow, and it eschews any portrayal of human pathos for a more abstract contrast of light and darkness. Salonen's approach is focused on the forward momentum of the piece. It is much more like Sakari Oramo's reading of the piece with Lisa Batiashvili and the Finnish RSO than, say, the expansive performance of Leonidas Kavakos and the Lahti SO conducted by Osmo Vanska which I would consider definitive.

Schoenberg's Violin Concerto op. 36 (1936) is a middle-period work where the composer had implemented the radical harmonies of twelve-tone serialism, but still remained attached to very Viennese rhythms, form and orchestration. The work is rarely heard, but it inhabits more or less the same soundworld as his widely-played Piano Concerto, veering between tranquility and catastrophe just like the composer's own tumultuous life. The violinist plays constantly, but cadenza-like passages come at the end of the first and third movements. The theme introduced in the very opening of the piece appears again and again throughout, and the concerto never falls into total abstraction. In fact, all of this is hella catchy to my ears, though as a fan of modernist compositions I can't really tell what the average reader of reviews here is going to make of the piece. I like it enough to now want to search out other performances and compare them.

5stars - "Brings Schoenberg's "minor" concerto to deserved prominence, and a decent performance of the Sibelius" (Christopher Culver)
I agree that the Schoenberg is a magnificent achievement, arguably the definitive recording of this work for all time. As for the Sibelius, I still prefer the Heifetz recording (cf. my review). The dynamic range here is immense, requiring a very good sound system for adequate listening.

I agree that the Schoenberg is a magnificent achievement, arguably the definitive recording of this work for all time. As for the Sibelius, I still prefer the Heifetz recording (cf. my review). The dynamic range here is immense, requiring a very good sound system for adequate listening.

5stars - "Yes!!! and Maybe" (B. Tupper)

I bought this recording for the Schoenberg Violin Concerto. I did not know the piece and I wanted to learn about it. So as a beginner of this concerto, I think it was very well and beautifully played. So I am happy.

As for the Sibelius concerto, the piece that I know more than just well, it is a long song. I couldn't get through listening to it. To say very politely, it sounds like a violinist taking her time to play every note as well and as perfectly as she can ( which she did) and the big picture is no where to be seen. Listening to this recording, one might wonder why this is a famous piece. I wouldn't not recommend this Sibelius recording to anybody, most of all, my students.
For Sebelius, seek recordings by Oistrakh, Kavakos, Pekka Kuusisto, Kremer, or Mutter. Each of them is a world different from one another, but each and every one of them has something to convey.

3stars - "Worth buying for Schoenberg!" (T. Q. Nguyen)

This review doesn't touch on the Schoenberg - almost without exception, all other reviewers praise Ms Hahn's recording of it, and I agree with them completely. It's the reaction to the Sibelius which fascinates me: very divided, with more tending to be negative. Too bland, cold and detached. I strongly disagree.

The Sibelius has always struck me as structurally disjointed, particularly the first movement. Musical ideas appear and subside, half-developed, with little sense of architecture. It was only when I heard the original version of the concerto, recorded (on BIS) for the first time by Greek violinist, Leonidas Kavakos, that I understood how these disparate ideas were in truth connected when originaly woven together. The substantially revised version of the work (invariably heard today) pared much of the music back to its stark raw material, which familiarity has helped us to smooth over.

Ms Hahn's reading of the work restores that greater sense of unity found in the original version. She achieves this by avoiding sudden extremes in mood and tempi. Her arcs are smoother and longer, allowing the musical ideas room to breathe, to evolve naturally from one to another.

Many ears find the result lacking in romatic fire and disappointing. On the contrary, Ms Hahn's reading is intensely brooding and contemplative in the first movement, wonderfuly melodic in the second, and naturally rhapsodic in the third. Her playing throughout is never harsh or forced, but radiant and lyrical. Which is not to say she never plays with fire: listen to the 2 notes that open the cadenza in the first movement at 7:15-7:20. They strike terror in me every time I hear them.

True it is that Ms Hahn's reading is slightly unorthodox, but it captures that quintessentially Finnish aura found in Sibelius' symphonies and orchestral works better than most other recordings. Her playing is of the highest order, the balance with the SRSO is spot on, and Mr Salonen's conducting is superb, revealing previosuly unheard nuances in the score.

Five stars.

5stars - "Sublime Sibelius" (A. Argyropoulos)

If you were told to think of an artist whose work ended up at the top of a a Billboard chart and garnered a Grammy Award, you would probably come up with a whole host of composers before coming to Arnold Schoenberg. While there are certainly Schoenberg fans in the world, somewhere (I went to high school with one, actually), they are rare because of difficulty on both ends of a musical performance. The Violin Concerto, in particular, is a beast play, and it at times seems only slightly easier for the listener than for the soloist. Really, at times it almost seems like the listener must practice listening to the piece for as long as the soloist must practice playing it, just for the performance to sound good.

In this album, though, Hilary Hahn proves that this need not be the case. While she certainly had to put in a grueling practice regimen in order to learn this monster of a concerto, the result is her groundbreaking interpretation of the piece, her impeccable technique, and her always perfect sound--she turns a mess of a piece, rarely played and even more rarely enjoyed, into a work of art, and the reception the album has gotten shows that people all over agreed that she has done the seemingly impossible: she has gotten people to warm to Schoenberg.

There are plenty of artists out there who play the old classic concertos and play them well. There are some who even attempt novel interpretations of the pieces in order to bring some variety to the repertoire. The truly great violinists, though, are those who offer something new. Hilary Hahn is not just a performer; she belongs to that upper echelon populated by those who give listeners something amazing and unforgettable, and this album proves it (again--remember her Stravinsky album?).

Also included is a performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, for those who want a side by side comparison, not to contrast with the Schoenberg, but to showcase the similarities and to make clearer the hidden romantic depths within the piece.

This is a recording that must be in the collection of any serious listener.

5stars - "Grammy-winning Schoenberg? Surprisingly, yes" (Alice Taniyama)

Hilary Hahn ~ Beethoven - Violin Concerto · Bernstein - Serenade / SalesRank : 6669

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Hilary Hahn ~ Beethoven - Violin Concerto · Bernstein - Serenade

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EAN : 0074646058428 / ASIN : B00000GV4L
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Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

She's a wonder this Hilary Hahn. Crowned "America's Best Young Classical Musician" by Time Magazine, and dubbed as a representative of the next great generation of violinists following in the footsteps of Mischa Elman, Fritz Kriesler, and Efrem Zimbalist, she plays not only with technical prowess but with a dignity and nobility seldom found in one so youthful. Her choice of repertoire belies her years.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute, Hahn began performing with major orchestras at the age of 11 and hasn't stopped since. Of her CD Hahn said, "I had wanted to record Beethoven for years." It is luminous, indeed.

Music lovers who aren't already under her spell will fall in love with this enchanting wunderkind's presentation of these concerto masterpieces.

Truly, one of the most breathtaking performances to be heard.

5stars - "SHE CASTS A SPELL WITH HER VIOLIN" (Gail Cooke)

Ludwig van Beethoven
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 61
(Fritz Kreisler, cadenzas)
I. Allegro, ma non troppo 24'25
II. Larghetto 9'47
III. Rondo. Allegro 9'43

Leonard Bernstein
Serenade for Solo Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion
(after Plato's "Symposium")
I. Phaedrus. Pausanias (Lent - Allegro) 7'00
II. Aristophanes (Allegretto) 4'19
III. Eryximachus (Presto) 1'29
IV. Agathon (Adagio) 7'10
V. Socrates. Alcibiades (Molto tenuto - Allegro molto vivace) 10'33

Hilary Hahn, violin
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
David Zinman, conductor

Beethoven of Hahn and Zinman: I think the violin concerto by them is to be able to point out the following: compared with the concerto of Beethoven played by Mutter with Karajan, to whom the age parts in the grandchild and the grandfather when Mutter was in her teens, Mutter's performance was only performed and existed on Karajan's palm, though it was made of the best use of the technique and was beautiful and was powerfully unrestricted done. However, Hahn is different. When Hahn enters to play the violin after the exposition by the orchestra of the first movement, the music becomes tightened. Hahn is almost leading Zinman.

After I bought this CD, I could not understand the good points of Hahn's Beethoven for a long time. I heard it not tasty and not lovely. I thought that it were a failure work of self-confidence of a girl stretching herself. I thought, "She could put confidence in the conductor as Mutter did, who played with Karajan in her teens". However, I who had intensively listened to the symphonies of Beethoven and addicted by Beethoven recently, was given immunity to Hahn's Beethoven. So I came to think, "There are no petty tricks in Hahn's Beethoven. She draws it in one stroke. It is very different from other soloists". And I was overwhelmed to Hahn's performance of the third movement.

5stars - "Hahn is almost leading Zinman" (K. MIURA)

Testimonials to Ms. Hahn's proficiency with the violin are by now common. I can resent only the tepid ones. Though sometimes given to overstatement, I am not sure how to overstate the perfection of her technique or the lyricism of her "laser beam" delivery (credit Nicholas Cage for that metaphor). She has the (thus far) unerring ability to transform seemingly unremarkable compositions into transcendental experiences.

I have compared her recordings of various works to those of Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein (as here), Henryk Szeryng and others, and, summarily, she makes the entire lot of 20th century violinists (except Pearlman) sound like a pack of struggling school boys at war with their instruments. She is a phenomenon; she is without equal. She is the greatest violinist in living memory, and we are priveleged to live in her era.

There you go. I was scarcely able to overstate it. Purchase anything she produces without fear of regret. There is nothing better out there (except Pearlman's Mendelssohn concerto with Barenboim - the recording mix is better).

5stars - "Bring Ms. Hahn forward a little bit" (John F. Baker)
All my life I've collected recordings of the Beethoven Concerto for violin and orchestra. I know of no greater, more eloquent, melodic and memorable piece of music for the violin. This recording swept me off my feet. The pacing is hynotic, the tone is gorgeous, the performance very simply outstanding. It's exquisite what happens here. Now my favorite, hands down.

All my life I've collected recordings of the Beethoven Concerto for violin and orchestra. I know of no greater, more eloquent, melodic and memorable piece of music for the violin. This recording swept me off my feet. The pacing is hynotic, the tone is gorgeous, the performance very simply outstanding. It's exquisite what happens here. Now my favorite, hands down.

5stars - "Truly, one of the finest and most distinctive" (Anne Rice)

Extolling the virtues of Hillary Hahn--the artist, is an eye-rolling redundancy. Anyone who knows anything about this genre realizes Hahn's extraordinary, bone chilling, once-in-a-generation virtuosity. That this particular recording does not receive five stars is certainly no fault of Ms. Hahn's. Like squirting black ink on the Mona Lisa, or more fittingly--like smashing a Stradivarius against a brick wall, the criminally-incompetent audio engineer for this recording had destroyed any possibility that this CD would ever become an all-time chef-d'oeuvre. To be subtle--like a broken leg, this compact disc should be packaged complete with an eight channel digital audio mixer to permit at least a partial fix of the careless clumsy effort wrought by the audio engineer [sic!]. In fact, one wonders if the so-called audio engineer's ability to hear was similar to that of Ludwig Van Beethoven himself.

4stars - "Smashing a Stradivarius" (Roscoe)

Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1; Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8 / SalesRank : 22446

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Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1; Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8
Composer:Niccolo Paganini Composer:Louis Spohr Conductor:Eiji Oue Orchestra:Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra

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Audio CD [ Deutsche Grammophon ] [ Release : 2006 / 10 / 10 ]
EAN : 0028947762324 / ASIN : B000G04RKS
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4.0stars [ See more reviews ]
The orchestral "support" provided by Oue is downright wretched. Hahn is simply obscured by the constant boomy bass. This CD should be entitled the Paganini Drum Concerto.

The orchestral "support" provided by Oue is downright wretched. Hahn is simply obscured by the constant boomy bass. This CD should be entitled the Paganini Drum Concerto.

2stars - "Oue, go away!" (Jack R. Schmidt)

In this recording, as in others, Hilary has thought the music through and takes her own unique approach to it. This Paganini concerto is as potentially flashy as anything ever written for the instrument. but Hilary looks beyond the flash and concentrates on the musicality. Looking over the reviews of this and other recordings by Hilary Hahn, it is obvious that many reviewers are describing their own musical tastes more than Hilary's performances. Those who like flash hate this recording. Those who like music love it.

This evening I listened through this Paganini performance by Hilary back to back with the Yehudi Menuhin recording of 1961. The differences are vast. I like Hilary's better, not only for her absolute technical mastery, but even more for her musical approach. By slowing the tempo a bit in places, she was able to actually insert some real musical interpretation into the piece. For example, descending runs which others rush through mechanically, Hilary slows a bit in order to indulge in some sensuous slides. Others may object that such wasn't Paganini's intent, but Hilary the artist takes her own artistic license with the music. She takes about three minutes longer than Menuhin to get through the first movement to, I think, wonderful effect.

It would be interesting to see what Gil Shahan would do with this music. It would surely be very different from Hilary's interpretation--just as artistically valid in its own way, I would think, but with totally different effect.

As a violinist who has spent a lot of time around other string players, I am often bemused by the attitudes some people show toward violin show pieces. One of my teachers loved to play the Sarasate Carmen Fantasy--just for fun, and because he could. He also played serious pieces with deep intensity--but, hey, why not have some fun once in awhile? Shame on all those reviewers who deprecate Hilary for having some fun with a bit of violin fluff. Especially when she has taken thought to mix some real musicality into it.

5stars - "In her own way" (B. Tupper)

A thoroughly adequate workman-like performance. No doubt probably technically correct in every detail, this rendition of the Paganini concerto lacked the fire and passion I associate with this great Italian violinist and composer's virtuosity. Likewise, this version of the Spohr work lacked the heart and good humour one should expect from a world class performance. Let us hope that eventually Ms. Hahn will mature.

3stars - "Not The Paganini I Know" (E.Toth)

This is by far the best Paganini Concerto #1 that I have listened to. I did not write the review before I could listen to quite a few performances of the same, including the excessively praised Accardo. I must indicate that Hilary Hahn is truly the best. Her virtuoso is combined perfectly with a sense of emotion that comes out delicately giving Paganini's concerto no. 1 the meaning and interpretation it deserves. The latter is especially reflected in the third movement. Not just only a collection of technically challenging combination of notes but a whole composition that is a pleasure to the ear, revealing perfection. So, although I am not a "pro" I give this performance 5 stars without reservation.

5stars - "The best Paganini concerto no. 1 that I have listen to so far." (Peter Vadasz)
This is just a great recording. The performance is alive, sparkling and fast. How great to have such a beautiful and gifted performer and backup.

This is just a great recording. The performance is alive, sparkling and fast. How great to have such a beautiful and gifted performer and backup.

5stars - "Hilary Hahn - Beautiful CD" (Vitamike)

Hilary Hahn - Barber & Meyer: Violin Concertos / SalesRank : 8894

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Hilary Hahn - Barber & Meyer: Violin Concertos
Composer:Samuel Barber Composer:Edgar Meyer Conductor:Hugh Wolff Orchestra:Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

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Audio CD [ Sony ] [ Release : 2000 / 03 / 14 ]
EAN : 0696998902923 / ASIN : B00004RBXW
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4.5stars [ See more reviews ]
I cannot get over the beautiful sounds of this recording. Hahn's tone is pure and beautiful, and the music is soothing, exciting, and at times unpredictable. I highly, highly recommend.

I cannot get over the beautiful sounds of this recording. Hahn's tone is pure and beautiful, and the music is soothing, exciting, and at times unpredictable. I highly, highly recommend.

5stars - "Absolutely beautiful" (E. Park)

I first encountered Hahn's recording of the Barber (on the radio) as I was preparing to review the recording by Ehnes.* That caused me to listen closely, and I was so impressed I ordered the CD.

The Barber is an early work (1939), and firmly late romantic.** In this recording the violin is out front and razor sharp. She seems at all times totally in command of the music. In the difficult final movement (Presto in moto perpetuo) Hahn plays as though to say "ha, why don't you find something that challenges me". Just a great recording.

The Meyer is a recent work (1999) commissioned for Hahn, but only slightly more modern. While the piece has moments that sound folksy, there is minimal dissonance, and it serves as a good companion to the Barber. Unlikely to become a staple of the repertoire, it's a nice diversion from the well known concertos, and is very well played on this disk.

Much to enjoy, I'm glad I ordered a copy!

* Barber, Korngold, Walton: Violin Concertos

** Years ago I was at a Pasadena Symphony concert that featured the (1962) Barber Piano Concerto. Two elderly women were in the row behind me, and I heard one, who was reading the program, tell the other, "Oh, I don't think we'll like this one, it says it is dissonant!".

5stars - "Zounds" (Ursiform)

I'm starting to come around to Hilary Hahn as a player. When I first heard her, I was put off by certain aspects of her playing, but now I've finally come to appreciate what she brings to the table. Her tone isn't as full as say Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Viktoria Mullova, or Anne Sophie Mutter, but her overall drive and determination put her in the same ring as these players and may very well surpass them. Technically Hahn is flawless and her performances are almost partly detached emotionally, which gives her a certain introspection not found in many of the violinists I've heard. Hahn is, without a doubt in my mind, a virtuoso with a bright future. Her playing is also very clear as she plays almost transparently where you can hear how defined the structure of the music actually is. She also seems to serve the music more than herself, which is an admirable trait in a soloist, especially of Hahn's caliber.

Hahn's playing on Barber's "Violin Concerto" is, without question, one of the finest I've heard and she's battling some stiff competition from Bell, Stern, Perlman, and Shaham. I can say she succeeds in outperforming these fine violinists. Her technique is flawless. I disagree with one reviewer who said the third movement "Presto" was bland. They must have been listening to another recording (probably Perlman), because she blew my mind with her rush of energy and amazing virtuosity. I'm almost convinced that this performance will not be bettered by any other violinist. Only history will tell now.

The Meyer "Violin Concerto" is actually not too bad of a piece of music as some reviewers would have you to believe. I have only listened to it once. Further listening will tell me how well I end up liking this concerto.

The conducting from Hugh Wolff is highly sensitive and overall very pleasing. He keeps up with Hahn which is no easy task for any conductor. She leaves most conductors scrambling for their baton. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra also provide superb accompaniment. Highly detailed and only forceful when the music calls for it. The audio quality is also excellent. Sony, in more recent years, have perfected their audio engineering and this performance benefits from the SBM (Super Bit Mapping) technology.

I think this disc deserves the high praise it's received. Highly recommended.

5stars - "Outstanding Barber" (J. Rich)

This is such sweet, evocative, and accessible music played so eloquently that I can't stop playing it -- this CD has been played twice a day here for the last three days! I'm familiar with Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto from the Kyoko Takezawa/Leonard Slatkin recording, a fine enough interpretation on a larger scale; but Hilary Hahn, just 19 when this was released in 2000, exudes such a cool objectivity and firm understanding of Barber's elegiac American expression that one can't help but be taken by it. Takezawa certainly allowed herself freer rein in much of the work's more emphatic and romantically inclined moments. Her tone also often took on a rougher, darker shade very reminiscent of Anne-Sophie Mutter -- I'm wondering if it's her or her instrument. Hahn, on the other hand, plays in a more controlled manner with perfectly judged phrasing, finely graduated dynamic adjustments, and absolutely superb intonation. (After having heard Hahn on a few recordings, I'm convinced this girl is well-nigh incapable of playing a bad note!) Nothing we hear draws gratuitous attention to itself except Barber's beautifully inevitable scoring and Hahn's impeccable, decidedly feminine realization of it. Another big plus here is the smaller, more intimate compound sonority of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra led by Hugh Wolff who provide the consummate accompaniment. As to the work itself, the first two movements are positively fetching, tuneful and sublime. However, I'm not all that enamored of the frenzied and seemingly disconnected brief finale; it's from a different world entirely, though certainly a virtuoso showcase for both soloist and orchestra. Hahn and the orchestra tear through it with aplomb and fine ensemble.

Edgar Meyer is a virtuoso double-bassist and composer from Tennessee who has made a name for himself in a variety of musical styles. His Violin Concerto was written for Hahn and here represents her first (and so far only) world premiere recording. The work is in two parts and is immediately accessible, blending a firmly tonal American minimalist sensibility with Appalachian folk stylings and even occasional allusions to neoclassical Stravinsky. It's a thoroughly charming and entrancing confection which complements the preceding Barber and is played by all concerned with a winning verve, commitment and convincingness.

5stars - "How Can Anyone Not Like This?" (Moldyoldie)

It is like autumn in spring. Slender fingers patter over the neck of the violin like small raindrops on a river. The smooth movement of her wrist brings out slurring notes and her bow glides and bounces over the dead metallic strings- bringing life to the four coils of steel.

Hillary Hahn, 19 years old, plays two American concertos which were both commissioned for a young virtuoso, the Meyer being composed especially for Hahn herself in 1999 as she received the concerto page by page through the fax machine. The Barber concerto, on the other hand, was originally composed for a Philadelphia industrialist Samuel Fels, who wanted a showy concerto for his son. Its first two movements are very melodic and enchanting, while the finale is brilliant and technically difficult.

Hahn's tone is very rich and beautiful- she knows how to control the bow and her vibrato. In the third movement of the Barber, she dashes through with intense speed as the notes scurry on like a small animal running through the woods at night. In the Meyer, which is "her" concerto, she begins with a sweet melody that reminds one of a misty early morning lake in Scotland. The piece graduates to a grander scale, as we leave the lake and run over rugged gorges from a bird's eye view. The music is more like a soundtrack for a spectacle movie but gets a little repetitious in the middle as a similar melody drones on. However, it moves on to a lively bluegrass melody as Hahn performs double stops that would be just the thing for a square dance.

Hahn's playing is lyrical and technically astonishing. It is much like her physical appearance- delicate with a no-nonsense manner. She is particularly good when she performs the fast sections. However, her overall performance doesn't seem to have much depth. It is like ice-skating with marvelous jumps and lunges, but the music never gets beneath the ice. The heart-wrenching melodies are beautiful but not as soulful as they could be. Nonetheless, she performs with a manner that not many adults have, and shows immense love and interest for the music- which are all professional traits that make her one of the best.

4stars - "Autumn in Spring" (D.Yvette Wohn)

Hilary Hahn ~ Brahms · Stravinsky - Violin Concertos / SalesRank : 87674

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Hilary Hahn ~ Brahms · Stravinsky - Violin Concertos

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Audio CD [ Sony ] [ Release : 2001 / 11 / 13 ]
EAN : 0696998964921 / ASIN : B00005RIN5
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4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

Hilary Hahn is my favorite artist for the Brahms. She gets Brahms, her technique is commanding, her tone is exquisite, the recorded sound is intimate, and the recording balance places her lovely violin way out in front, my preference. Thankfully she doesn't screw it all up with an oddball cadenza. She and Marriner provide a straight-ahead performance of moderate tempi that might be considered prosaic by some. Yet by its devotion to the beauty within the music, eschewing all hint of performer-added romantic drama, her performance vaults clearly to the top of those I've heard (most all available).
The Stravinsky is little known to me. I like this recording and attribute much of that to Marriner. In the first movement, I doubt it matters much who is doing the fiddling. In the inner Arias and the Capriccio, Stravinsky shows us what he knows about the violin and Hahn gives a rendition that varies appropriately from soulful to spirited. I think Stravinsky would have enjoyed it.
Give this recording an extra star because of the artistic maturity and breadth that Ms. Hahn demonstrates at the ripe old age of 22!

5stars - "Definitive Brahms" (foosayer)
Hilary Hahn has a very liquid sound. It's hard to believe anything could be so beautiful.

5stars - "Particularly good recording of Brahms" (Thomas Hartmann)

Just listening to the 3rd sample of the Brahms here in the Amazon samples will give anyone a good picture of what it takes to help the music communicate it's many dimensions.
A person can play just what appears to be on the page or learn to interpret so that the rhythmic and melodic movement, shapes, colors, etc., are readily felt. Hilary has the smarts, intuition, strengths and desire - (in all, a love of communication!)- to take on that kind of challenge with joy and gusto.

For my taste I'll never tire of her interpretations.

I recall reading that the Brahms D Vn. Concerto was a very strong influence, perhaps the sole influence, on her taking up the violin. That's also the case with other passionate violinists I recall (but not their names).

I'd love to hear her in the Brahms Sextets and Trios as well if she's inclined.

5stars - "Hahn's Playing Makes Sense - Musically and ..." (R. Holland)

I loved this recording, Brahms as well as Stravinsky - and today I was re-listening to it in preparation for Joshua Bell's appearance with Brahms in Boston Symphony. What is truly enigmatic that it is impossible to say who is better - in a way, I find Hilary's playing more touching, close to masters like Yehudi Menuhin. Many reviewers already wrote about this concert and Brahms' Concerto in detail, so I will only add that she seems to be a no less a virtuoso, and with such enormous talents like herself, Lisa Batiashvili and Joshua it is a delight to be able to hear this immortal music in various interpretations, each of these violinists offering their unique vision. I'd dare to say old stars as Yasha Heifetz pale somehow before these young geniuses.

5stars - "Hilary vs Joshua." (Anna Shlimovich)

5stars - "A Great Brahms, A Fantastic Stravinsky" (J. Rich)

Violin Concertos / SalesRank : 29067

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Violin Concertos

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Audio CD [ Sony ] [ Release : 2002 / 11 / 05 ]
EAN : 0696998992122 / ASIN : B00006LWQH
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4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

For any fan of the violin, Hilary Hahn is simply one of life's joys these days. Her technique is staggering -- beyond even other virtuosi in the way Heifetz was a little beyond the other great violinists of the mid-20th century.

But Hahn is also a thoughtful musician. Who doesn't love Perlman, but so much of his work at this age was technically lush, but interpretively dry and dull. Hahn, by contrast, is a thinker and a risk-taker. Even if you cringe at her interpretations some times (and I don't for the most part) you have to admire her willingness to try for a fresh take. She will develop and develop, and I hope I'm still around when she is making her third and fourth recordings of these pieces in her 50s and 60s.

Anyway, this Mendelssohn is fantastic. The third movement alone is worth the price of the CD -- she takes a very fast tempo and just whips up this wonderful sweet confection.

5stars - "A must-have Mendelssohn!" (T Boyer)

I have in the past thought of Shostakovich in terms of barbed wire, tanks, and icy winters. This, until the orchestra in which I play viola, performed his 5th Symphony. I was overwhelmed by the power of it, and by the deep sadness I felt in it, in parts. With this in mind, I re-visited other works of his, including the First Violin Concerto. I first acquired a version with Maxim Vengerov as soloist, and was stunned at what I had overlooked in the music in the past. I then purchased this album, since Hilary Hahn has been my favourite violinist for some time. I have listened to the last three movements by each soloist repeatedly. I find both performances to be excellent, but, on balance, Hilary Hahn's interpretation is more moving, and it is intensely moving in places. To my ear, her tone has a depth and intensity, even darkness, which fits the music magnificently. I am astonished that a person of her age (and physical statue) can summon such power and maturity in a demanding composition such as this. I highly recommend this CD.

I also recommend another of her CDs, "Hilary Hahn Plays Bach", most especially for her interpretation of the Chaconne. I believe this is one of the great compositions in western music, and I have heard no better performance than hers, again partly due to her wonderfully deep tone, but also due to the magic of her own interpretation. I have listened to this track many times, and never cease to be deeply moved.

I haven't even listened to the Mendelssohn concerto yet.

5stars - "More than barbed wire and tanks" (J. D. Stevenson)
Without a doubt, Hilary Hahn is a new Heifetz. This CD is proving this. Her impressive quickness and accuracy in Mendelssohn's and Shostakovich's concertos indicate that Hahn will become the legend of the century. This CD was the best violin recording that I have heard.

Without a doubt, Hilary Hahn is a new Heifetz. This CD is proving this. Her impressive quickness and accuracy in Mendelssohn's and Shostakovich's concertos indicate that Hahn will become the legend of the century. This CD was the best violin recording that I have heard.

5stars - "Hilary Hahn: a new Heifetz is borning" (Adylson Valdez)

Hilary Hahn has a great technique. I loved her Bach even more than Grumiaux's. I figured you couldn't lose with the stuff she uses. I was wrong. What in the world did this young lady do to the 3rd movement of the Mendelssohn? Did she have to run off to the loo or something? I bet the conductor's arm nearly fell off when she sprinted away. She lost all clear articulation when she did that and she also lost the orchestra in a couple of places. As a violin teacher, I would have to tell her to come back to that passage and play it again, slower, and with some clear articulation.
It was so rushed I couldn't catch up enough to hear some music. It looks I'm going to keep listening to the old guys on this one ;-). Isaac Stern's and Fritz Kreisler's have left pleasant memories.

2stars - "Mendelssohn, 3rd Movement" (Fiddle-Faddle)

This is probably the most virtuosic and technically dazzling recording of the Mendelssohn I've ever heard. Unfortunately, it was too fast (particularly in the third movement) to convey much depth. The opening of the third movement is one of the most dramatic in the entire repertoire, but the drama/suspense was killed because she rushed through it. Even the timing is off - she suddenly speeds up for no apparent reason shortly after the tempo change, immediately before the introduction of the theme. Mendelssohn wrote the opening to create a sense of anticipation about the presentation of the theme, but this anticipation is not conveyed in Hahn's recording because she speeds through it and doesn't even hold a steady tempo. That was my biggest complaint about the recording, although the rest of it seems to be primarily about displaying her impressive technique, rather than playing with any real depth. As mentioned in other reviews, Heifetz's famous recording is a great example of a virtuosic and moving performance of this piece. Hahn's falls short in this regard. In any case, my favorite recordings of this concerto are Midori's live performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Salerno-Sonnenberg's.

3stars - "Amazing technique" (J. Powers)

Elgar: Violin Concerto / Lark Ascending / SalesRank : 19993

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Elgar: Violin Concerto / Lark Ascending
Composer:Edward Elgar Composer:Ralph Vaughan Williams Conductor:Colin Davis Orchestra:London Symphony Orchestra

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Audio CD [ Deutsche Grammophon ] [ Release : 2004 / 09 / 28 ]
EAN : 0028947450429 / ASIN : B0002CX4Q8
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4.0stars [ See more reviews ]
A very nice rendition...but like a good Bordeaux...
she needs a little time to mature as a performer......
Met her at Pike's Market in Seattle...where she performed
for the general public.
She needs to spend more time...
in serious practice...and what a performer she can be....

A very nice rendition...but like a good Bordeaux...
she needs a little time to mature as a performer......
Met her at Pike's Market in Seattle...where she performed
for the general public.
She needs to spend more time...
in serious practice...and what a performer she can be....

3stars - "Needs a little....maturing" (David C. Werbeck)

Reading through the many reviews of this recording submitted over the past months, I can't help wonder if all the writers were listening to the same release: The best... The worst... Ravishing... Flat... and on and on. I bought a full orchestral score and redd through the recording a number of times to try to sort it all out.

Stepping back for a fresh look at the whole thing:

This concerto by Elgar is one of the most emotionally intense compositions of the 20th century. At a time when many composers were churning out dry academic experiments in arhythmia and atonality, Elgar poured out his cold, sterile English heart into a passionate melodic outburst that reaches both back into pre-Renaissance English folk forms and forward into post-modern sensibilities. Any accurate and complete description must take into account both the emotional fluidity and the formal structure. We don't have space or time here for the formal structure--just a few words on the emotional.

The dynamic and tempo changes written into the score are almost dizzying. For example, in one section I read more than 80 changes within the space of about 30 bars--terms like espressivo, grazioso, animato, lento, appassionato, con fuoco, ritardando molto pile almost on top of each other--poco marcato, poco largando, a tempo, cantabile in three adjacent bars--markings such as dolcissimo and espressivo in the same measure followed closely by animato; a tempo con pasione followed closely by maestoso and strepitoso--often with different sections of the orchestra going in different expressive directions at the same time, and quite apart from the markings for the solo. Such as ad lib. or tenudo or espressivo appears frequently in the solo line even where the orchestra is marked a tempo.

In such a musical environment it would be easy to get carried away into emotional gushing. Hilary handles this with admirable and elegant restraint. She has obviously thought this piece through and decided what she wants to do with it, as a coherent whole, and she arrived at conclusions quite different from some other artists. That is her artistic prerogative. And she carries it off very well. Others may come to different conclusions. That is their artistic prerogative, both as performers and listeners, but a piece of music as complex and intense and varied as this can survive more than one interpretive approach.

Giving Yehudi his due (I knew him personally and admired his work back in the 50s), I also admire Hilary for her interpretation here--not the less for her technical excellence. It wouldn't hurt for anyone to own both versions and to go back and forth between them, relishing their differences.

Above all, please don't scorn those who refuse to climb into your own narrow little musical box.

While I also appreciate the quite different interpretations offered by some artists, I am sorry I can't give this particular recording at least seven or eight stars.

5stars - "Looking closer" (B. Tupper)

The buzz around this recording, that being it is an unusually cold performance of this epic romantic concerto, is somewhat true. However, for me this is an ideal interpretation. Simply because, in overwraught, gushingly emotional performances of this concerto the listener stops feeling all the performer is giving simply due to the sheer length of this work, close to 50 minutes. Ms. Hahn makes the work sing and emote in a much more Apollonian way and her light touch makes the work seem so effortless which is something quite difficult in music like this. I will listen to this right next to Menuhin and Perlman, she definitely is on their level and to me in many ways surpasses them. However, as one reviewer has already noted, the true gem here is the Vaughan Williams. For me there is no comparison, this is the best recording I have ever heard. Here Hahn is sensitive to every gesture, every dymamic, and every color in the orchestra behind her. She captures the spirit of the piece and sounds great doing it. The interesting part of this recording is not Hahn, she always plays brilliantly musically. What I was most surprised about is the fantastic accompaniment from Davis and the LSO. While I don't have a bad word to say about the man, it is often the case with me that his recordings are great, solid, and musically very well put, but they are rarely anything particularly special. This is a special recording in every way. Not only does Davis keep up with Hahn and stay musically in tune with her, he makes her sound better as well. Along with some fantastic solo playing from the orchestra, especially clarinet in the Vaughan Williams, absolutely stunning, these pieces become spellbinding.

5stars - "If not the best, on the same level at least" (Daniel Graser)

I am a long time admirer of Elgar's music but have always had trouble getting into this piece, that is until hearing the present performance. Hahn and Davis have managed to cut through the density of late Romantic performance practice to bring something new and quite valid to the piece. Just as Boulez "burned through the haze" in his Debussy performances, Hahn and Davis have done so for this piece and have revealed what I had been missing for so long: the vitality inherent in the writing. By comparison, other performances I had tried to live with were like an overstuffed chair, luxuriant but overly comfortable. The recording has wonderful sound and presence. I don't know if it's DG's recording or Davis' direction but it is possible to follow the complexities of Elgar's writing and to appreciate his consummate craftsmanship as a composer. The accompanying "A Lark Ascending" has to be the best rendition since Hugh Bean and Sir Adrian Boult tackled the piece on EMI. It's surely not a masterwork but it is a delightful tone picture of the type that RVW was so justly famed for. In all, this disc is a wonderful addition to Ms. Hahn's discography.

5stars - "A Revelation" (C.H. Wise)

I bought this CD to get the Ralph Vaughn Williams piece and, had I been paying attention and seen that the remainder was Elgar, I would not have bought it -- I've never been much of an Elgar fan as I've always found his compositions to be a bit stiff. BUT, boy did I ever change my mind when I heard this! The Elgar Concerto was unlike anything I've ever heard of his before, perhaps even paralleling the superb ambiance of some Hovhaness that I've heard lately.

This is one of those classical CDs on which every track is a pure treasure. Now, I've come to enjoy the Elgar Concerto as much as I do the Vaughn Williams. I savor this music as wallpaper while reading and for that it is perfect. All tracks also make for the VERY BEST dinner music. I play it over and over.

Regarding Hahn's performance, yes, I think at times she might be just a tad light on the strings but I found her rendition, in terms of delivery, to be quite fluid and otherwise flawless. And here's the thing.... perhaps the sheet music reflects one f where I happen to think that there should be two. But I'm neither the composer nor the conductor. So maybe she played it exactly correct. I don't know -- I can't read the first note of sheet music but I know what I heard and I liked it a lot! And, uncultured Redneck that I am, after gawking at that cover photo for quite a long time, it's undoubtedly an understatement to say that I'd really love to meet Hilary Hahn in person *.*

So, I'm up to about 400 classical CDs now and this one is in the top 20 for me. I think that the sound quality is above average and the orchestra is tight, yet atmospheric as well. No one will get hurt by buying this CD -- it's musical gold as far as I'm concerned.

5stars - "This one bowled me over!" (Patrick W. Crabtree)

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KotobaBooks ＞ Music ＞ Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526