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Doremi

Legendary Treasures - Piano Trios / Gilels, Kogan, Et Al

$101.99 Only 3 left

Details

Composer
HAYDN BEETHOVEN HAYDN
Artist
Gilels, Kogan, Rostropovich
Format
CD
Label
Doremi
Released
Aug 07, 2007
Catalog #
DHR-7921-5
UPC
723721311353

About



BEETHOVEN Piano Trios: in B?, “Archduke”; 1 in E?, WoO 38. 1 MOZART Piano Trios: in B?, K 254; 1 in G, K 564. 1 HAYDN Piano Trios: 1 in D, Hob XV:16; in g, Hob XV:19. TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Trio in a, op. 50. 1 SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Trio in e, op. 67. 1 SAINT-SAËNS Piano Trio in F, op. 18. 1 SCHUMANN Piano Trio in d, op. 63. 1 BORODIN Piano Trio, in D. 2 FAURÉ Piano Quartet, op. 15. 3 BRAHMS Trio for Piano, Violin, and Horn, op. 40 4 • Emil Gilels (pn); 1,2,3,4 Leonid Kogan (vn); 1,3,4 Mstislav Rostropovich (vc); 1,3 Dmitry Tziganov (vn); 2 Sergei Shirinsky (vc); 2 Rudolf Barshai (va); 3 Yakov Shapiro (hn) 4 • DOREMI 7921 (5 CDs: 344:47)


This impressive five-CD set from DOREMI presents a fascinating portrait of a splendid Soviet-era ensemble, whose members—pianist Emil Gilels, violinist Leonid Kogan, and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich—collaborated for more than a decade beginning in 1949. They are joined by violist Rudolf Barshai (with whom Kogan and Rostropovich formed a String Trio during the 1950s) in the first Fauré Quartet, and the horn-player Yakov Shapiro joins Gilels and Kogan in the Brahms Trio. The Borodin Trio that rounds out the set features Gilels with two of his earlier chamber music partners, violinist Dmitry Tziganov and cellist Sergei Shirinsky, both members of the Beethoven Quartet.


The least of these performances are very good and the best of them nothing short of brilliant. The “Archduke” Trio must be one of the finest on record. In the first movement development, the juxtaposition of string pizzicatos with the piano’s trills creates an uncanny, otherworldly atmosphere. When the recapitulation finally arrives, it seems not just a satisfying homecoming, but a deliverance from the outer realms of abstraction. The ensemble finesse in the Scherzo is breathtaking, while the spiritual depths of the unique Andante cantabile are plumbed with grace and reverence. The same sort of Apollonian approach that makes this reading of the “Archduke” so successful is applied to the Tchaikovsky trio, with stunning results. Even some of the most celebrated performances of this difficult work (the Rubinstein/Heifetz/Piatigorsky, RCA 63025 among them) narrowly skirt the maudlin. Here, however, the three Russians bring a sincerity and simplicity to Tchaikovsky’s every gesture, allowing his elegy for Nicolas Rubinstein to speak with eloquence, at once dignified, restrained, and heartfelt.


In the Schumann Trio, Gilels, Kogan, and Rostropovich achieve a prodigy of imaginative interpretation, all within the context of the most sophisticated and refined ensemble-playing. It is hard to imagine a more compelling conception of this impassioned score. They also approach Shostakovich’s eerily atmospheric Second Trio with the utmost conviction. The hectic second movement is a kinesthetic tour de force , while the finale’s unconventional oriental textures are deftly maneuvered to great effect.


Predictably, the Haydn and Mozart readings are less satisfactory. Generalizations are always dangerous, but perhaps it is not inaccurate to say that, prior to the inevitable cross-pollination with the West occurring during later decades through travel and recordings, Soviet musicians approached Haydn and Mozart with a prettified delicacy. The results can often sound mannered, if not downright bloodless, and light years away from what we consider appropriate late-18th century style today. One case in point is the weepy vibrato Kogan employs in the sustained passages of the plaintive Andante opening of the Haydn G-Minor Trio; another is the flaccid Allegretto of the Mozart G-Major Trio, where phrase shapes are obliterated by an anachronistic effort to achieve the late-19th century ideal of the “long line.” Despite these reservations, even the 18th-century repertoire is of historical interest: this is the way this music was played behind the Iron Curtain in the years following WW II.


The sound of these recordings is consistent with the technological resources of Melodiya (the original issuing label) during the 1950s. Most were studio recordings, but some were live performances. One can discern the improvement of equipment and recording techniques between the earliest of the performances (the Tchaikovsky Trio, 1950) and the latest (the Shostakovich, 1959). Though the sound is flattened-out relative to modern standards, balances are superb, and no detail seems lost. The accompanying leaflet contains thumbnail bios of the principal artists as well as the works and timings, but no information on the matrices (beyond photographic reproductions of the record labels) or the transfer process. All in all, fascinating performances of representative repertoire by master musicians. Highly recommended.


FANFARE: Patrick Rucker

Tracklist 47 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro 10:12
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    10:12
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  3. 2 II. Andantino più tosto allegretto 04:59
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andantino più tosto allegretto
    Duration
    04:59
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  4. 3 III. Vivace assai 04:12
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Vivace assai
    Duration
    04:12
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  5. 4 I. Allegro moderato 12:36
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    12:36
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  6. 5 II. Scherzo: Allegro 11:35
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Scherzo: Allegro
    Duration
    11:35
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  7. 6 III. Andante cantabile ma pero con moto - 12:06
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Andante cantabile ma pero con moto -
    Duration
    12:06
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  8. 7 IV. Allegro moderato - Presto 06:56
    Track
    7
    Title
    IV. Allegro moderato - Presto
    Duration
    06:56
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  9. Disc 2
  10. 1 I. Andante: Presto 08:20
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Andante: Presto
    Duration
    08:20
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  11. 2 II. Adagio ma non troppo 03:59
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio ma non troppo
    Duration
    03:59
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  12. 3 III. Presto 03:32
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Presto
    Duration
    03:32
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  13. 4 I. Allegro 04:49
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    04:49
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  14. 5 II. Andante con variazioni 07:06
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Andante con variazioni
    Duration
    07:06
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  15. 6 III. Allegretto 05:09
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Allegretto
    Duration
    05:09
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  16. 7 I. Allegro assai 07:33
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro assai
    Duration
    07:33
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  17. 8 II. Adagio 13:05
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    13:05
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  18. 9 III. Rondeau: Tempo di Menuetto 05:42
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Rondeau: Tempo di Menuetto
    Duration
    05:42
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  19. 10 I. Allegro moderato 04:30
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    04:30
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  20. 11 II. Scherzo: Allegro ma non troppo 03:51
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Scherzo: Allegro ma non troppo
    Duration
    03:51
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  21. 12 III. Rondo: Allegretto 05:35
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Rondo: Allegretto
    Duration
    05:35
    Composer
    Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  22. Disc 3
  23. 1 I. Pezzo elegiaco: Moderato assai - Allegro giusto 18:17
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Pezzo elegiaco: Moderato assai - Allegro giusto
    Duration
    18:17
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  24. 2 II. Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto 29:43
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto
    Duration
    29:43
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  25. 3 I. Allegro vivace 06:27
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. Allegro vivace
    Duration
    06:27
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  26. 4 II. Andante 07:32
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    07:32
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  27. 5 III. Scherzo: Presto 04:10
    Track
    5
    Title
    III. Scherzo: Presto
    Duration
    04:10
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  28. 6 IV. Allegro 04:59
    Track
    6
    Title
    IV. Allegro
    Duration
    04:59
    Composer
    Camille Saint-Saëns
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  29. Disc 4
  30. 1 I. Allegro 06:40
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    06:40
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  31. 2 II. Andantino più tosto Allegretto 05:08
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andantino più tosto Allegretto
    Duration
    05:08
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  32. 3 III. Vivace assai 04:06
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Vivace assai
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Franz Joseph Haydn
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  33. 4 I. Mit Energie und Leidenschaft 11:56
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Mit Energie und Leidenschaft
    Duration
    11:56
    Composer
    Robert Schumann
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  34. 5 II. Lebhaft, doch nicht zu rasch 04:36
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Lebhaft, doch nicht zu rasch
    Duration
    04:36
    Composer
    Robert Schumann
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  35. 6 III. Langsam, mit inniger Empfindung 04:59
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Langsam, mit inniger Empfindung
    Duration
    04:59
    Composer
    Robert Schumann
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  36. 7 IV. Mit Feuer 07:23
    Track
    7
    Title
    IV. Mit Feuer
    Duration
    07:23
    Composer
    Robert Schumann
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  37. 8 I. Andante - Moderato 07:37
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Andante - Moderato
    Duration
    07:37
    Composer
    Dmitri Shostakovich
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  38. 9 II. Allegro con brio 02:40
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Dmitri Shostakovich
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  39. 10 III. Largo 04:42
    Track
    10
    Title
    III. Largo
    Duration
    04:42
    Composer
    Dmitri Shostakovich
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  40. 11 IV. Allegretto 09:43
    Track
    11
    Title
    IV. Allegretto
    Duration
    09:43
    Composer
    Dmitri Shostakovich
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  41. Disc 5
  42. 1 I. Allegro con brio 06:59
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    06:59
    Composer
    Alexander Borodin
    Performer
    Dmitri Mikhailovich Tsiganov, Sergei Shirinsky, Emil Gilels
  43. 2 II. Romance: Andante 07:41
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Romance: Andante
    Duration
    07:41
    Composer
    Alexander Borodin
    Performer
    Dmitri Mikhailovich Tsiganov, Sergei Shirinsky, Emil Gilels
  44. 3 III. Intermezzo: Tempo di minuetto 05:44
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Intermezzo: Tempo di minuetto
    Duration
    05:44
    Composer
    Alexander Borodin
    Performer
    Dmitri Mikhailovich Tsiganov, Sergei Shirinsky, Emil Gilels
  45. 4 I. Allegro molto moderato 08:11
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro molto moderato
    Duration
    08:11
    Composer
    Gabriel Fauré
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Rudolf Barshai, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  46. 5 II. Scherzo: Allegro vivo 05:21
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Scherzo: Allegro vivo
    Duration
    05:21
    Composer
    Gabriel Fauré
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Rudolf Barshai, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  47. 6 III. Adagio 07:46
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Adagio
    Duration
    07:46
    Composer
    Gabriel Fauré
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Rudolf Barshai, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  48. 7 IV. Allegro molto 07:34
    Track
    7
    Title
    IV. Allegro molto
    Duration
    07:34
    Composer
    Gabriel Fauré
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Rudolf Barshai, Mstislav Rostropovich, Emil Gilels
  49. 8 I. Andante - Poco più animato 08:05
    Track
    8
    Title
    I. Andante - Poco più animato
    Duration
    08:05
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Yakov Shapiro, Emil Gilels
  50. 9 II. Scherzo: Allegro - Molto meno allegro - Allegro 06:58
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Scherzo: Allegro - Molto meno allegro - Allegro
    Duration
    06:58
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Yakov Shapiro, Emil Gilels
  51. 10 III. Adagio mesto 08:06
    Track
    10
    Title
    III. Adagio mesto
    Duration
    08:06
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Yakov Shapiro, Emil Gilels
  52. 11 IV. Finale: Allegro con brio 05:59
    Track
    11
    Title
    IV. Finale: Allegro con brio
    Duration
    05:59
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms
    Performer
    Leonid Kogan, Yakov Shapiro, Emil Gilels