Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Champs Elysees Orchestra, Patricia Kopatchinskaja :: Beethoven: Complete Works for Violin & Orchestra

Wonderfully unique.

Eric R. Godoy | Chicago | 01/19/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you want to listen to a new, fresh, and effective Beethoven violin concerto, this is your disc. There is a lot of energy and creativity here. I love the cadenza. What a breath of fresh air!"

Who said Beethoven lost his fretful temper when he was in lo

Yong Liu | where the Panda bear hanging around | 05/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some teacher told me from school. this violin concerto was the probably only piece with 'moderate' anger in Beethoven's manner; simply, because he was in love at the time he wrote this music. I am not so sure that is 'completely' true. But, let's put in this way: the majority of the recordings on this 'romantic' piece, was, relatively calm in its performance.

So, here we are, having this recording, with absolutely different taste. Why not? It doesn't sounding wrong to me. I listened this recording, followed its mentality path which is also very logical. It make it's own sense.

And the violinist, a fresh name to me, Ms. kopatchinskaja, played with such a passion, and probably very person style to me. I wish I could go to her concert once to feel it alive. There are couple of 'improvisation' phrases crossing through the entire piece. That is very freshing.

There are couple of version of this violin concerto should be consider no matter you are doing comparing or just to hearing the differences. They are all very good. 1. Ms. Mullova (violin), Sir. Gardiner (conduct) 2. Ms. Batiashvili (violin); 3. Kremer (violin), Harnoncourt (conduct);

There should be over a million records on this planet, but, wish you could find couple of your favorite ones.

:)"

A Beethoven concerto totally committed to HIP style

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/03/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My enthusiasm for period Beethoven moves with tectonic speed, about half an inch a year. But while I lag, HIP style has matured quickly, and now it can be said that good musicians like Patricia Kopatchinskaja are competitive with an accomplished virtuoso like Viktoria Mullova. I mention Mullova because her period-tinged Beethoven violin concerto with John Eliot Gardiner has been my gold standard. Yet from the younger generation Janine Jansen challenges Mullova with a bit more energy, and now here's Kopatchinskaja, who is willing to adapt even more to the elements of "authentic" style.



Listening to the choppy way that she digs into the first movement cadenza, I'd defy any musicologist to prove that Beethoven heard the music performed that way, but such arguments are bootless. Jansen and Mullova scale down their tone considerably and erase any hint of the revolutionary Beethoven. Kopatchinskaja does the same, but she goes farther in ridding her tone of vibrato and blending in with Herreweghe's orchestral accompaniment, which needless to say is from a chamber orchestra using Baroque technique. The redeeming quality in all this zingy string playing and anti-romanticism is that conductor and soloist are both talented at conveying expression. Neither offers radical about pacing; tempos are quite standard and not at all rushed. I like the poetry of the slow movement and the vigor and rhythmic snap of the finale.



My four-star rating is a shot in the dark. In the end, this interpretation is a bridge too far for me. The HIP style robs Beethoven of too much that I feel he meant and wanted. If you feel differently, Kopatchinskaja and Herreweghe are more committed to an all-out period approach than any previous recording I've come across."