Search - Haydn, Faust, Poppen :: Concertos for Violin & Orchestra

A terrific performance by a fine artist

D. Sills | Savage, MD United States | 01/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This performance is one of a growing number of performances on modern instruments that are obviously informed by listening intelligently to performances on original instruments. The concertos are brilliantly brought to life by Faust, one of a very small number of artists whose recordings I would buy unheard. (I have a doctorate in string performance from the Manhattan School of Music: I know what I am talking about.)Like the best Classical music performances, this one does not attempt to look for a long, Romantic line that is not there. Instead, it treats the music as composed of long-range harmonic motion upon which float discrete through interrelated melodic events. A focus on minute details of melodic shape is critical to success in this endeavor, and she does marvelously. And it is a difficult job: Tetzlaff, for instance, tries much the same thing in this repertoire and fails signally at it.The orchestra plays significantly better than most modern-instrument recordings of these concertos, with excellent intonation and a fine balance between strings and continuo harpsichord. Poppen is capable of a real poetry, which he puts here in the service of music that is far better than most of its performances.Obviously, the G major concerto is a less imposing work that the more famous C major, though both are given enlightening readings here; but the prize is the A major ("Melker") concerto, which for the first time in my experience steps right up into the C major's class. If I were to have to find a quibble with this performance, it would likely be in the realization of some of the ornaments and the length of the cadenzas, but these are matters about which a cheerful agnosticism is far better for the blood pressure. God may be in the details, but that doesn't mean it isn't hazardous to look there.Buy this and enjoy!"