Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade

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Music reviews of Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade

Music Review: Sets the current-day standard of performance
Rating: 5 Stars

The Beethoven Violin Concerto is indisputably one of the top violin (or any instrument, for that matter) concertos ever written. It is a remarkable piece in that it is not as note-heavy as, say, Tchaikovsky's, but is more complex. The second movement is especially wonderful, beginning with a longer-than-typical theme by the soloist that is at its heart simple, yet elegant. The soloist then guides the orchestra in exploring the theme, leading it down one path, then following another, agreeing here, contrasting there. It's a doctoral thesis in the art of the concerto as a conversation between soloist as master of his or her craft and orchestra as equal partners.

The thing that Beethoven did so well that none will ever be his equal at it is to take a relatively simple theme--I, a non-musician, can play the main themes from two of the greatest symphonies ever composed, the Fifth and the Ninth, on my toddler's five-note toy piano!--and make it great through repetition and variation of melody and harmony. Beethoven could write a piece that used the same theme a hundred times and you'd still feel like it was fresh at the conclusion. So it is with the third movement of this concerto.

Hahn and Zinman excel in this recording because they capture the essence of this music--simple themes musically done in a manner where both soloist and orchestra contribute. One certainly wouldn't have Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on the tip of one's tongue when asked about the greatest orchestras today--thoroughly competent, to be sure, but not the best of the best. What Zinman does so well in this recording is to not exaggerate the piece. The dynamics and tempos of the piece are kept in a moderate range--no fireworks where a candle is called for. And perhaps as a great athlete improves the abilities of teammates, so Hahn lends her technique, restraint, and intelligence to the orchestra.

Let's face it, no one's buying this for the Bernstein. It's a good performance of a decent piece, but it's not why you'll reach for this CD over and over. It's something of an ironic pairing; if ever there was a conductor who bludgeons listeners with Beethoven (outside of an excellent recording of the Third with the Vienna Philharmonic) more than Bernstein I don't know who it is.

Wrapping up: this CD has joined the Menuhin/Furtwangler recording as my favorite performance of this supreme Violin Concerto.

Description of Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Bernstein: Serenade

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