Alexander Trostiansky, Polina Osetinskaya, Gregory Rose - Hummel: Violin Concerto, Piano and Violin Concerto (2005)

The world of classical recordings is not exactly awash in recordings of the music of Johann Nepomuk Hummel, the German composer of the generation after the Classical Mozart-and-Haydn generation but before the Romantic Schubert-and-Weber generation. Aside from his Trumpet Concerto, his Mandolin Concerto, and several of his Piano Concertos, most of Hummel's music remains unperformed and unheard. On this disc, the Concerto for piano and violin has only two previous recordings in the catalog, while the Concerto for violin has no previous recordings in this form. For listeners looking for something novel from the no-longer-Classical-but-not-quite-Romantic generation, this disc could have been just the thing.
Unfortunately, as performed by violinist Alexander Trostiansky and pianist Paulina Osetinskaya, with Gregory Rose conducting the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Hummel's concertos are only a bit more than barely competent. Both Trostiansky and Osetinskaya are up to their tasks and turn in attractive if not especially compelling performances in the Double Concerto. But the Russian Philharmonic is one of the least stylish, least cohesive, least in-tune orchestras ever recorded, and Rose seems to be able to do little to improve them. In the previously unrecorded version of the Violin Concerto completed here by Rose, Trostiansky is once again up to the music, but the Russian Philharmonic is perhaps even less in tune than before. Naxos' sound is more than adequate but less than endearing.