Dimitri Mitropoulos - New York Philharmonic
David Oistrakh: violin
[Violin Concerto]
Eugene Ormandy - Philadelphia Orchestra
Mstislav Rostropovich: cello
[Cello Concerto]
Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 262 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 85 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 41 mb
Total playing time: 63:46
Recorded:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 99:
January 2, 1956, Carnegie Hall, New York City; MONO
Première recording !
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 107:
November 8, 1959, Broadwood Hotel, Philadelphia; STEREO
Première recording !
Released: 1998 - Sony Classical MHK 63327
Track listing:
1. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - I. Nocturne, Adagio
2. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - II. Scherzo, Allegro non troppo
3. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - III. Passacaglia, Andante
4. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - IV. Burlesca, Allegro con brio
5. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - I. Allegretto
6. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - II. Moderato
7. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - III. Cadenza
8. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - IV. Allegro con molto
Reviews:
Classicstoday
(Cello Concerto)
We are fortunate that the premiere recording of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 took place under such ideal conditions. Not only do we have the work's dedicatee, Mstislav Rostropovich, but also the Philadelphia Orchestra in top form under the enthusiastic direction of Eugene Ormandy. The performance is legendary and never has been bettered. Rostropovich seems to have absorbed the solo part into his very being, offering an emotionally involving, electrifyingly virtuoso rendition. The other piece of luck is the recording, which sounds nearly as vivid as today's finest in this new remastering.
Composition description (allmusic.com):
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (published as Op. 99)
As many know, Shostakovich wrote two violin concertos. But his work list suggests two separate versions of the First, the Op. 77 and the Op. 99. The Violin Concerto No. 1 was originally completed in 1948, but withheld for seven years by the composer, owing to the oppressive climate for artists in the Soviet Union at the time. Any new work might have drawn the wrath of Stalin and his cronies in the arts. Shostakovich returned to the score in 1955 and then assigned the higher opus number to it. Actually, the only documented change he made came not as a result of second thoughts, but as a matter of consideration for the soloist. During rehearsals in 1955, the virtuoso violinist David Oistrakh requested of Shostakovich that the opening statement of the fourth movement's main theme be given to the orchestra, so that the soloist could take a rest following the long cadenza which leads right into the finale, and Shostakovich agreed to make the change.
The First Violin Concerto begins as a dark work, full of that gloom and dread that pervade so many of Shostakovich's serious works. The first movement Nocturne starts off with an ominous theme that is both inwardly reflective and filled with foreboding. Midway through, a thinly veiled Dies Irae appears as the music becomes more tense. Yet, a climactic release never quite arrives and the suggested conflicts remain unresolved. The second movement is a rather diabolical Scherzo that contains some interesting allusions, first to the third movement of the Tenth Symphony (1953) and later to the first movement of the Second Piano Concerto (1957). The violin and woodwinds scurry about to deliver the playful yet menacing material, but gradually the character of the movement becomes more sarcastic, eventually breaking into a hallucinatory folk dance. The latter part of the Scherzo sounds less acidic, the diabolic and sarcastic elements surrender to the driving, insistent energy. The third movement is a Passacaglia that has a chorale-like quality at the outset, as the woodwinds deliver a mournful theme. The violin enters playing the main theme, one of the composer's loveliest and warmest creations. Shostakovich's 1943 Eighth Symphony's fourth movement also featured a passacaglia, though of a decidedly grimmer character. Here, there is tension, but also much beauty. The latter third of the movement is taken up by a brilliant cadenza, which leads directly into the brief finale, a Burlesque of a mostly festive nature. The mood is similar to that of the faster music in the Tenth Symphony's finale, though there are no clear thematic references. While the work ends triumphantly, its manic qualities suggest a discomfort by the composer, as though the happy resolution might have been disingenuous.
Shostakovich eliminated trumpets and trombones from the orchestration of this Concerto, and his writing is otherwise sensitive to the limited tone of a solo violin playing amid a large ensemble. A typical performance of this work lasts about 35 minutes.
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107
Shostakovich composed this music in July 1959 and Mstislav Rostropovich introduced it at Leningrad on October 4, with Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting. It is lightly scored for double winds, piccolo, contrabassoon, a single horn (no other brass), timpani, celesta, and strings.
Although a prolific composer in other forms, Shostakovich wrote only six concertos. If those for keyboard seem prevailingly saucy and sun dappled, the four string concertos are somberly serious. Where there's any laughter at all, it sounds forced and hollow. To lighten it (or try) only reinforces the "holy fool" (yurodivy) analogy that haunts Solomon Volkov's Testimony, the posthumously alleged Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich.
When the First Cello Concerto was written with almost Mozartean speed, Stalin had been dead six years but not forgotten. In 1958 Boris Pasternak was forced to decline a Nobel Prize for his anti-Stalinist novel, Doctor Zhivago, and then was expelled from the Writers' Union. Ian MacDonald, in The New Shostakovich, concluded that Pasternak's humiliation and subsequent persecution significantly influenced the First Cello Concerto. Volkov, on the other hand, gave no hint, nor did Elizabeth Wilson in A Life Remembered. Most of what she included, anent the concerto, was Rostropovich's celebration of himself, with this notable exception: "In the First Cello Concerto [M.R. speaking], Shostakovich alludes to Stalin's favorite song, 'Suliko.' These allusions are undoubtedly not accidental, but...are camouflaged so craftily that even I didn't notice them to begin with. The first time Dmitry Dmitriyevich hummed this passage through to me [from the concluding rondo movement], he laughed and said, 'Slava, have you noticed?'"
Cello Concerto No. 1 is a major-key work in minor keys more often than not, recalling the mature Schubert's subtle modulations. It was his first large-scale undertaking after the Eleventh Symphony a year earlier and one of the works he quoted in his autobiographical Eighth String Quartet of 1960.
The published score has a preface, "adapted" as follows by the late Leonard Burkat:
"This four-movement concerto is divided into two large parts: the opening movement, and then three more movements played without pause. Together, they form an integral whole with unified themes and images.
"The main theme of the Allegretto first movement is a [four-note] motto that lends itself to dynamic development and reappears many times. The second theme is a rich musical image of Russian character, full of stoic grief and strength of will.
"The second movement, Moderato, has a restrained introduction, after which the cello sings a song-like theme against violas in the background. The melodious second theme is highly expressive, leading to a dramatic climax.
"The third Andantino -- Allegro movement is monolog for unaccompanied cello [i.e., a long cadenza] that recalls the first-movement motto and second movement themes while preparing for -- "The Allegro con moto finale in rondo form [that] sums up the whole work, with a coda [based on] the principal subject of the first movement...." The end is both harsh and abrupt.
Click here to download
David Oistrakh: violin
[Violin Concerto]
Eugene Ormandy - Philadelphia Orchestra
Mstislav Rostropovich: cello
[Cello Concerto]
Lossless: Ape (img + cue + log) = 262 mb
Lossy: Mp3 (lame "preset standard") = 85 mb
Artwork @ 300dpi = 41 mb
Total playing time: 63:46
Recorded:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 99:
January 2, 1956, Carnegie Hall, New York City; MONO
Première recording !
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 107:
November 8, 1959, Broadwood Hotel, Philadelphia; STEREO
Première recording !
Released: 1998 - Sony Classical MHK 63327
Track listing:
1. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - I. Nocturne, Adagio
2. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - II. Scherzo, Allegro non troppo
3. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - III. Passacaglia, Andante
4. Concerto for Violin and Orch No. 1 in A minor, Op. 99 - IV. Burlesca, Allegro con brio
5. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - I. Allegretto
6. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - II. Moderato
7. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - III. Cadenza
8. Concerto for Cello and Orch No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107 - IV. Allegro con molto
Reviews:
Classicstoday
(Cello Concerto)
We are fortunate that the premiere recording of Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 took place under such ideal conditions. Not only do we have the work's dedicatee, Mstislav Rostropovich, but also the Philadelphia Orchestra in top form under the enthusiastic direction of Eugene Ormandy. The performance is legendary and never has been bettered. Rostropovich seems to have absorbed the solo part into his very being, offering an emotionally involving, electrifyingly virtuoso rendition. The other piece of luck is the recording, which sounds nearly as vivid as today's finest in this new remastering.
Composition description (allmusic.com):
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (published as Op. 99)
As many know, Shostakovich wrote two violin concertos. But his work list suggests two separate versions of the First, the Op. 77 and the Op. 99. The Violin Concerto No. 1 was originally completed in 1948, but withheld for seven years by the composer, owing to the oppressive climate for artists in the Soviet Union at the time. Any new work might have drawn the wrath of Stalin and his cronies in the arts. Shostakovich returned to the score in 1955 and then assigned the higher opus number to it. Actually, the only documented change he made came not as a result of second thoughts, but as a matter of consideration for the soloist. During rehearsals in 1955, the virtuoso violinist David Oistrakh requested of Shostakovich that the opening statement of the fourth movement's main theme be given to the orchestra, so that the soloist could take a rest following the long cadenza which leads right into the finale, and Shostakovich agreed to make the change.
The First Violin Concerto begins as a dark work, full of that gloom and dread that pervade so many of Shostakovich's serious works. The first movement Nocturne starts off with an ominous theme that is both inwardly reflective and filled with foreboding. Midway through, a thinly veiled Dies Irae appears as the music becomes more tense. Yet, a climactic release never quite arrives and the suggested conflicts remain unresolved. The second movement is a rather diabolical Scherzo that contains some interesting allusions, first to the third movement of the Tenth Symphony (1953) and later to the first movement of the Second Piano Concerto (1957). The violin and woodwinds scurry about to deliver the playful yet menacing material, but gradually the character of the movement becomes more sarcastic, eventually breaking into a hallucinatory folk dance. The latter part of the Scherzo sounds less acidic, the diabolic and sarcastic elements surrender to the driving, insistent energy. The third movement is a Passacaglia that has a chorale-like quality at the outset, as the woodwinds deliver a mournful theme. The violin enters playing the main theme, one of the composer's loveliest and warmest creations. Shostakovich's 1943 Eighth Symphony's fourth movement also featured a passacaglia, though of a decidedly grimmer character. Here, there is tension, but also much beauty. The latter third of the movement is taken up by a brilliant cadenza, which leads directly into the brief finale, a Burlesque of a mostly festive nature. The mood is similar to that of the faster music in the Tenth Symphony's finale, though there are no clear thematic references. While the work ends triumphantly, its manic qualities suggest a discomfort by the composer, as though the happy resolution might have been disingenuous.
Shostakovich eliminated trumpets and trombones from the orchestration of this Concerto, and his writing is otherwise sensitive to the limited tone of a solo violin playing amid a large ensemble. A typical performance of this work lasts about 35 minutes.
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107
Shostakovich composed this music in July 1959 and Mstislav Rostropovich introduced it at Leningrad on October 4, with Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting. It is lightly scored for double winds, piccolo, contrabassoon, a single horn (no other brass), timpani, celesta, and strings.
Although a prolific composer in other forms, Shostakovich wrote only six concertos. If those for keyboard seem prevailingly saucy and sun dappled, the four string concertos are somberly serious. Where there's any laughter at all, it sounds forced and hollow. To lighten it (or try) only reinforces the "holy fool" (yurodivy) analogy that haunts Solomon Volkov's Testimony, the posthumously alleged Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich.
When the First Cello Concerto was written with almost Mozartean speed, Stalin had been dead six years but not forgotten. In 1958 Boris Pasternak was forced to decline a Nobel Prize for his anti-Stalinist novel, Doctor Zhivago, and then was expelled from the Writers' Union. Ian MacDonald, in The New Shostakovich, concluded that Pasternak's humiliation and subsequent persecution significantly influenced the First Cello Concerto. Volkov, on the other hand, gave no hint, nor did Elizabeth Wilson in A Life Remembered. Most of what she included, anent the concerto, was Rostropovich's celebration of himself, with this notable exception: "In the First Cello Concerto [M.R. speaking], Shostakovich alludes to Stalin's favorite song, 'Suliko.' These allusions are undoubtedly not accidental, but...are camouflaged so craftily that even I didn't notice them to begin with. The first time Dmitry Dmitriyevich hummed this passage through to me [from the concluding rondo movement], he laughed and said, 'Slava, have you noticed?'"
Cello Concerto No. 1 is a major-key work in minor keys more often than not, recalling the mature Schubert's subtle modulations. It was his first large-scale undertaking after the Eleventh Symphony a year earlier and one of the works he quoted in his autobiographical Eighth String Quartet of 1960.
The published score has a preface, "adapted" as follows by the late Leonard Burkat:
"This four-movement concerto is divided into two large parts: the opening movement, and then three more movements played without pause. Together, they form an integral whole with unified themes and images.
"The main theme of the Allegretto first movement is a [four-note] motto that lends itself to dynamic development and reappears many times. The second theme is a rich musical image of Russian character, full of stoic grief and strength of will.
"The second movement, Moderato, has a restrained introduction, after which the cello sings a song-like theme against violas in the background. The melodious second theme is highly expressive, leading to a dramatic climax.
"The third Andantino -- Allegro movement is monolog for unaccompanied cello [i.e., a long cadenza] that recalls the first-movement motto and second movement themes while preparing for -- "The Allegro con moto finale in rondo form [that] sums up the whole work, with a coda [based on] the principal subject of the first movement...." The end is both harsh and abrupt.
Click here to download
I was not able to extract these files. I downloaded them twice and it failed both times using 7zip and Izarc both.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen@anonymous: These files have been downloaded lots of times already, without anyone having a problem. My guess is you haven't used the correct password - see "important info" on top of this page.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAlso, you might want to try unzipping with winrar, to see if that makes any difference...
wonderful music-making, priceless performances. Many thanks to you for your time and generosity
BeantwoordenVerwijderenhenryflower