Thursday 24 December 2009

As a change from the Berg concerto, I feasted yesterday on a new recording of Max Bruchs' G minor concerto played by Sarah Chang. This is the kind of music that suits Miss Chang down to the ground; she is a highly romantic player, emotional rather than cerebral. In music like Bruch, Mendelssohn or the Goldmark concerto she is most enjoyable (and still a very fine violinist). I must dig out her Goldmark concerto again; I remember doing a movement-by-movement comparison in this concerto between Chang and Joshua Bell; and Sarah Chang won hands down. Having criticised EMI's recording technicians recently, it must be said that they do a good job for Sarah Chang (and for the superb Dresden orchestra under Kurt Masur).

3 comments:

Lee said...

But she still loses out to Milstein-Blech in the Goldmark, right? For a new player, I also do like Janine Jansen's Bruch VC 1 with the LGO & Chailly. Any opinions?

Harry Collier said...

Pretty well EVERYTHING Janine Jansen does is superb, including the Bruch with Chailly. My only complaint would be the stereotyped and unimaginative coupling ... the bloody Mendelssohn concerto (yet) again.

Lee said...

Sarah Chang's Brahms is a tepid affair - esp the 1st mvt which is all sugar & no spice - not very fiery - not a VC for violin against orchestra - give me Jascha, Nathan etc any day.