Artist Portrait: Maxim Vengerov

• Main performer: Maxim Vengerov
• Booklet languages: English, German, French
• Time: 76:03
• Release Date: 2002

Review

This disc, called Artist Portrait: Maxim Vengerov, shows a deeply expressive, powerfully muscular young violinist at the first peak of his career. Vengerov is tender with the Andantino from Prokofiev's Concerto No. 1, brutal with the "Burlesque" from Shostakovich's Concerto No. 1, sensual in the "Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso" of Saint-Saëns, sentimental in the Finale from Bruch's Concerto No. 1, soulful in the Andante of Mendelssohn's Concerto, robust in the "Praeludium" of Nielsen's Concerto, and vivacious in the Finale from Tchaikovsky's Concerto. If Vengerov's Rondo from Beethoven's Spring Sonata is a little too rough for the music and his Allegro from Brahms' Sonata No. 3 is a little too violent, well, Vengerov is still only at the first peak of his career. It will be interesting to see how he handles these works in 25 years. Erato's sound is brisk and efficient. ~ James Leonard, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Max Bruch	Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 (Finale, Allegro energico)	7:39
Felix Mendelssohn	Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (Andante)	8:05
Ludwig van Beethoven	Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major ("Spring"), Op. 24 (Rondo, Allegro ma non troppo)	6:15
Camille Saint-Saëns	Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, for violin & orchestra in A minor, Op. 28	8:47
Johannes Brahms	Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108 (Allegro)	8:20
Sergey Prokofiev	Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 19 (Andantino)	9:56
Dmitry Shostakovich	Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 (published as Op. 99) (Burlesque, Allegro con brio)	4:47
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky	Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (Finale, Allegro vivacissimo)	10:03
Carl Nielsen	Violin concerto, Op. 33 (FS 61) (Praeludium, Largo)	6:42
Antonio Bazzini	La Ronde des Lutins, scherzo fantastique for violin & piano, Op. 25	5:29

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