CD reviews


	Reviews for Midori's recording of the Bruch/Mendelssohn Violin Concertos with the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Mariss Jansons Sony Classical SK 87740 EDITOR'S CHOICE Gramophone, January 2004 by Edward Greenfield .. we have an issue containing performances that stand comparison with the finest in the past... In both performances there's a consistent sense of spontaneous expressiveness... Overall, and in the face of formidable competition, this is a clear winner. General-Anzeiger, December 6/7, 2003 Two of the most wonderful violin concertos in a breathtaking recording. Midori not only displays technical perfection but combines it with highly differentiated musical arrangement. Mariss Jansons and the Berlin Philharmonic are ideal partners. International Record Review, December 2003 by Julian Haylock Do we really need another Mendelssohn E minor or Bruch First? Well, yes, when they are played with such consummate grace, style and feeling as here. With luxury backing from the Berlin Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons and a velvety smooth recording to match, Midori spins a seamless line of glowing cantabile that doesn't falter for a second. Indeed, such is the commanding nature of these readings that it was only when the applause broke out at the end of the Mendelssohn that I noticed that both concertos had been recorded live in the Philharmonie during 2002-03. In such reliable hands both works create the impression of having been composed in one spontaneous outburst, yet nothing could be further from the truth. These new accounts are both musically pleasing and beautifully played. Amazon.com, September 2003 by ROBERT LEVINE Midori is a grown-up and is no longer being judged by - and for - her age, and for those who aren't aware of it, she has become, quite simply, a great violinist. These two concerti - such favorites that each is represented by almost two dozen available recordings - are wonderfully played here. The gorgeous opening melody of the Mendelssohn sets the tone; the sweetness Midori gets from her violin is instantly captivating. The middle movement avoids sentimentality while remaining songful and the finale is light and airy, with the bow seemingly barely touching the strings. The Bruch opens with just the right dark, introverted mystery (such a different mood from the end of the Mendelssohn that you may want to pause a moment before beginning it!), the central Adagio is sheer poetry and the finale brilliantly sparkling without a hint of 'look-at-me' arrogance. The live recordings are vivid and the audience clearly brings out the best in both soloist and orchestra, all under the caring, balanced eye of Mariss Jansons. This is now the preferred versions of these concerti on discs. Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, September 7, 2003 by JÜRGEN OTTEN Midori waited twenty years before recording the two standard pieces. And the result amply repays all the years of waiting. Midori transforms the bourgeois violin concerto into a virtually expressionistic, cryptic spectacle. ... The way she plays on her wonderful Guarneri from 1734 is full of passion and she is far from being a plain analyst; Midori Goto is a real musician. That might sound banal but this is possibly the decisive difference between Midori and other violinists who used to be child prodigies and were left behind. ClassicsToday.com by DAVID HURWITZ Since her return to the concert circuit some five years ago, Midori has made a series of outstanding recordings for Sony, this being yet another. The taste, bravura, and sheer "class" of these performances exudes from their every musical pore, and they easily take a place among the finest versions available of both works. I just wish that major labels would learn to record artists when (as in this case) they have something to offer rather than to attempt to capitalize on the transient fame of child prodigies and immature players with little on display beyond technical facility. Midori has grown up, and it would be a thousand pities if either Sony or the musical public fails to give her the attention she deserves now that she has shown herself worthy of it. Both of these performances were recorded live in excellent sound, with the violin a bit to the fore but never at the expense of orchestral detail. You'd hardly know that this is the notorious Philharmonie, Berlin, so warm and clean are the sonics. The Mendelssohn is one of the most beautiful and winningly lyrical versions ever recorded, deliberate and wistful in the opening movement but never slack, subtly probing and exquisitely sensitive to dynamic shadings in the Andante. Midori's tone sports an expressive sweetness (never cloying) that she maintains throughout her entire range, at any speed. Indeed, the lively finale offers a veritable clinic in how to project a lovely sound under pressure, and Midori's willingness to interact with the orchestral winds--flutes and clarinets in particular--makes this reading utterly captivating from first note to last. The Bruch is no less distinguished, and here we might take note of the fabulous playing of the Berlin Philharmonic under Mariss Jansons--perfect in its poise, discipline, and ensemble cohesion. The concerto's prelude has passion aplenty, but the glowing Adagio is truly special, revealing Midori creating just the right tone of noble dignity. The unbuttoned finale again displays her ability to really dig into the instrument without ever making an ugly sound. Indeed, it's the sheer purity and roundness of her tone and her seamless legato that will make you listen afresh to music that you may think you know better than the players themselves. Yes, there are many, many recordings of these concertos, even coupled as here, but if ever a disc offered a reason to duplicate repertoire, then this one does. To hear it is to fall in love with these works all over again, and no praise can be higher than that. Courierpostonline.com, August 29, 2003 by ROBERT BAXTER The Mendelssohn Concerto catches the violinist in peak form. Her violin sings as she soars through a seamless performance. Midori and the Berlin Philharmonic, led by Mariss Jansons, engage in an intimate musical dialogue. The gleaming tone and refined touch exhibited in the Mendelssohn Concerto can also be heard in the Bruch Concerto. Midori dispatches the dazzling technical outbursts with aplomb. She also embraces the warm melodies with the rapture they demand. Redludwig.com, September 6, 2003 On her new CD, Midori takes on two of the most acclaimed - and popular - concertos in the violin repertoire and brings both off with sumptuous panache. The violinist is ideally endowed for such a task. Her warm, rich tones wrap themselves about the inspired melodies of Mendelssohn with aplomb. And her phrasings, which have about them the elasticity of the human voice, are brought to bear with particular effect on the second movement of the composer's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor. Those same qualities, allied with a rousing emotionalism, figure prominently in Bruch's Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra in G minor. On this piece, Midori strikes a perfect balance between virtuosity and rapport with the elegant score. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 21, 2003 by ROBERT CROAN Why another recording of two of the most frequently recorded concertos? The fact is that these new performances by violinist Midori, recorded with conductor Mariss Jansons at Berlin Philharmonic concerts, are about as satisfying as any we're likely to hear. Soloist and conductor are top-level artists in their prime, and as for the Berlin Phil -- well, it's the team to beat. Add to this the fact that Sony's sonics are state-of-the-art, and even the most blasé music lovers might want to add it to their collections. Midori plays the Mendelssohn concerto with a naturalness that makes it seem as if she is composing the music as she goes along. Moreover, she can make the listener believe she's having fun playing it. Jansons emphasizes classic restraint while accompanying and, when the orchestra has a chance to come into its own, exploits the colors and virtuosity of these incomparable players.



	Reviews from Japan Varie, July 2003 by HARUO YAMADA Midori's Mendelssohn is superbly refined and romantic. This may have been called an "orthodox" performance in the past, but with the growing popularity of authentic performance practice, her style of performance now seems to be quite precious. Smooth phrasing and subtle tempo shifts are very appealing, and the exchanges with the woodwinds of the Berlin Philharmonic in the second movement are also very beautiful. Midori tends to be associated with technical dazzles, but this Mendelssohn has suppleness and is remarkably charming. Bruch, on the other hand, is typical of Midori. From the first movement, the high level of concentration is quite frightening. It is a vivid and intense performance, as if one can imagine the rosin powder flying from her bow. The Berlin Philharmonic with Jansons is also on full power. The first movement is titled "Vorspiel", but this is no prelude: right from the beginning, it is the "main". In the second movement, one is completely absorbed in the world of beautiful cantabile and the most intimate singing. Sankei Shimbun, June 29, 2003 by YOSHIYUKI TANAKA Right from the opening of two of the most well known concertos, Midori makes a full-force attack, challenging the orchestra, thus producing music on a grand scale. She shows her deepest lyricism where called for, and the music relentlessly accumulates tension and energy towards the finale. I have never heard such a spectacular performance. Record Geijutsu, July 2003 by TAKAYOSHI NAKAMURA This recording by Midori possesses the character and firmness of a mature artist. Listening to the first movement [of the Mendelssohn] made me think that one rarely comes across a performance in which such delicate elegance, poise and vivid expression ooze out of music despite the solid technical and spiritual stability. The second movement is again gorgeous. What an exquisitely beautiful tone the Guarneri del Gesu "ex-Huberman" can produce. However, even here, a noble appearance and innermost emotion warm the heart of the listener. And the third movement has an angelic lightness. The nobility and elegance are sustained, and yet never become fragile. What surprised me at the end of the music was that this was a live recording. The high level of perfection she realized in a live performance is simply amazing. Bruch is also an excellent performance. It was recorded six months before the Mendelssohn in June 2002, but this also is a live recording. The opening violin monologue immediately grabs the heart of the listener, and takes him deep into the world of Bruch. The different recording conditions may account for the dense and silken tone quality. Musically, it is as splendid as the Mendelssohn, but the character of the two works differs, and Midori gives a passionate performance. The first movement does not have wild unrestrained freedom, but gives a sense of elegant beauty rising out of burning passion deep from the heart. However, the best performance was the second movement. ... She lets the listener explore the dream world, but this dream world always leads to something noble and sublime. The third movement is simply a breathtaking performance. It is hard to believe that this was indeed a live recording. However, what is most impressive, amid the perfection and dazzle, is the real music that exists in this recording. CD Journal, July 2003 by AKIRA TANAKA This recording shows Midori already becoming a grand master despite her age. The Mendelssohn concerto is an elegant piece full of sweet romanticism, but many performances tend to focus on its beauty alone. With Midori, however, the exquisite balance between tension and release, and passion and calm creates highly intensive music. Bruch supposedly modeled his concerto on that of Mendelssohn, and his music is more romantic and the melodies are sweet and singing. However, as with the Mendelssohn, this is not music of mere sweetness and beauty. The opening solo of rising phrases is so expressive that it immediately grabs the heart of the listener and never lets him go.