Warsaw Concerto (Original Mono Recordings 1936-1943) - Rawicz & Landauer

Advantages: Mutter's eloquence and sensitivity in older recording are enhanced here.
Disadvantages: None at all!

...As a fantastically talented eighteen-year-old, Anne-Sophie Mutter already awed me with her sensitive and thoughtful eloquence in her 1981 recording of the Brahms violin concerto (with Herbert von Karajan directing the Berlin Philharmonic). However, there’s an even deeper understanding in Mutter’s reading of the Brahms piece on this newer disc. This performance was taped live at the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, New York City, in 1997. Kurt Masur conducts the New York Philharmonic in particularly inspired fashion. A difference of fifteen years separates the two recordings. In the time between, she married, had children, and then was widowed at a very young age. When Mutter returned to her instrument, she would bring a greater strength, emotional depth and insight to her playing, lending a maturity and assuredness to her... Read review

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Advantages: Good tuba muisc
Disadvantages: None

..., and is slightly better to listen to than the first two movements of the concerto, however it still isn't wonderful. The third concerto is the Tuba Concerto in F Minor (1954) by Ralp Vaughan Williams. 7 - Prelude 8 - Romanza 9 - Finale: Rondo alla tedesca This concerto is more classical in nature with a structure similar to something Bach would've used as opposed to something more modern by Beethoven for example. Although minor, the concerto still has a good melodic line and a great accompaniment that would be expected from an 82 year old composer with much experience in composition and is a work with originality and freshness. The first movement is a great start to the concerto, with a nice melodic line and a lovely cadenza towards the end of the movement and has an amazing final few bars which bring the movement to a close. The second... Read review

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Advantages: It is simply one of the finest pieces of music ever written
Disadvantages: How dare you ask of any disadvantges!?!

...Recordings of the Century series, which includes the classic pairing of the concerto with Dame Janet Baker's classic version of Elgar's song cycle "Sea Pictures", and a new addition of the Cockaigne Overture. Original album EMI Classics (5 56219 2); EMI Great Recordings (5 62886 2) However, if clean recording quality of the "DDD" variety is what you are after, the best new recording would undoubtedly be Yo-Yo Ma's recording with Andre Previn conducting again the London Symphony for Sony. The recorded sound and performances are first rate, with Ma being very passionate about everything, showing his great technical prowess, and makes for a great addition to your collection, even if it doesn't quite overturn DuPré's account. CBS Masterworks (39541) For those interested in history there is of course Elgar's own recording from 1928 with Beatrice... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful