VOX LP: Mendelssohn and Bruch Violin Concertos
Ivry Gitlis is one of the great Israeli violinists. His career as a virtuoso and teacher has spanned over eighty years and he is still going strong. He will celebrate his 90th birthday this August. Renowned for his tours, he has played with his “Sancy” Stradivarius of 1713 with the best orchestras of the world under the direction of such famous conductors as Szell, Ormandy, Mehta, Kertesz, and Dorati. He has also been a great musical and cultural ambassador, serving as a musical ambassador to the Soviet Union for Israel, and in 1990 as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
This VOX LP features Gitlis playiing with the Pro Musica Symphony, Vienna, under the direction of Hans Swarowsky, who studied conducting under Richard Strauss. Gitlis’ playing of the opening bars of Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E Minor establishes immediately an impassioned romantic mood. His performance of these immortal phrases is deft and masterful. Gitlis finds the delightfully dreamy mood of the second movement, and the third demonstrates his renowned talents to the utmost. This disc was my first exposure to Gitlis, whose sound is natural and strikes a perfect balance with the orchestra.
Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto in E-
1. Allegro molto apposionato
2. Andante
3. Allegretto non troppo: Allegro molto vivace
In the first movement of the Bruch concerto, there is something songful about Gitlis’ playing of the second subject following upon the intense double-stops of the first theme. The Adagio is a nostalgic aria, a real heart-on-sleeve performance; the final Allegro, a joyful Hungarian dance. Despite some fairly gloomy passages in this work, Gitlis ultimately finds the real joy at its core.
Bruch – Violin Concerto No.1 in G-, Op.26
1. Prelude: Allegro moderato.mp3
2. Adagio
3. Finale: Allegro energico
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