Gil Shaham, Mikhail Pletnev - Glazunov, Kabalevsky: Violin Concertos (1997) CD-Rip

This is a very enjoyable program of some really worthwhile music. Glazunov's superb violin concerto from 1905 is a conservative, melodic work, but a splendid one whose popularity is definitely well deserved. Gil Shaham's approach is also rather conservative, but in the best sense of the word. The playing is beautifully phrased, warm-toned and romantic, and it is excellently supported by the Russian National Orchestra under Mikhail Pletnev. No, Shaham does not really provide any new insights, but as a library version of the work this is, I assume, possibly the best you could do.

Kabalevsky's concerto is a light-hearted affair in three short movements, full of good ideas. Written in 1948 under quite severe ideological pressure, Kabalevsky seems bent on avoiding anything that would challenge the listener, and I suppose the result could hardly count as a masterpiece, but it is a delightful work nonetheless, with a particularly endearing slow movement - and againt one could hardly have hoped for better advocacy, even though the orchestra almost manages to steal the show.

To round off the disc we get four of Tchaikovsky's not quite insubstantial smaller works for violin and orchestra. The Souvenirs are offered in Glazunov's orchestration, which adds some glitter to these already delightful scores. They are wonderfully played, and the Valse-scherzo is full of lilt and swagger. The sound quality is superb as well, and this is all in all an excellent, thoroughly enjoyable disc.