A
joy to encounter performances of such character as these.
The meeting of Oistrakh, Knushevitsky and Oborin results
in a Tchaikovsky Trio that effectively wipes out all current
competition. Most recently, Berezovsky, Makhtin and Kniazev
on DVD provided a youthful and powerful reading (Naïve DR2115);
but there is, throughout the Doremi experience, a feeling
of encountering the real thing.
The
recording hails from Russia in 1948, and is fine for that
period. The transfer is very good, courtesy of Jacob Harnoy.
Interpretatively, there is an intimacy here that far eclipses
the Berezovsky version. There is a huge amount of delicacy,
real understanding of the genre and, perhaps most of all,
an intensity that enables us to revel in the composer's
more far-flung explorations; especially impressive are the
darker sides to this composer, around 11'.
The
superb, beautiful simplicity of Oborin's beginning to the
second movement enables us to embark on a huge journey.
The string phrasing, when the other two instrumentalists
enter, is as near-miraculous as it is natural; and just
listen to how Oborin avoids any sense of a twee music-box
around 4'50. This is a reading that is full of life, drama
and event, the doom-laden ending particularly touching.
A
shame, then, that the next piece (the Méditation)
comes in so quickly thereafter. The pianist is Vladimir
Yampolsky, here completely outclassed by Oistrakh - the
performance just rises up so many leagues on the violinist's
entrance. It acquires a fair amount of intensity and note
Oistrakh's spot-on attack up high. The Waltz-Scherzo - again
with Yampolsky - is playful, but it is the depth of Oistrakh's
tone that sticks in the memory as well as his astonishing,
swaggering stopping!
Finally,
Kondrashin - a worthy partner to the great Oistrakh - accompanies
in a yielding, yet rather dark manner. There are also moments
of real tenderness here. Some pitch flutter around 8'50
may be off-putting, but not so much as to take away a recommendation.
A
fascinating release from a company whose catalogue is of
major historic importance. Booklet notes are skimpy, but
that aside this is a CD that should be acquired.
Colin Clarke
see also Review
by Jonathan Woolf
