Dvorak; Szymanowski: Violinkon

Product description International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions. Review This Pentatone release is an out and out revelation. The playing of Ms. Steinbacher is out of this world. The recording quality is second to none. There is exceptional blending of soloist and orchestra and not a second of unsatisfying playing by either to be heard. The dynamic range is spectacular and this is the finest Szymanowski I have heard. I have played this disc daily for the last two weeks and have been thrilled each time I hear it. The Dvorak concerto is given new life, and the sound of her Stradivarius is marvellous. This is a disc that belongs in every collection. While the CD layer is excellent, the DSD layer is exemplary in every way possible. Not to be missed. --Hifi+ Magazine The recording of the Szymanowski is simply sensational; the orchestral timbres are more refined than in The Pearls of Polish Music Szymanowski (BeArTon) which pays great dividends in their extraordinary passages without violin - few can have written for such contrasting ranges of texture in such a short space of time. Steinbacher herself simply soars gracefully above it all with a unobtrusive virtuosity, as if singing her heart out and does so without any sense of forcing herself which is sometimes noticeable in The Pearls of Polish Music Szymanowski (BeArTon). A quite extraordinary reading that makes it hard to imagine the work being performed any other way. The Romance by Dvorak seperates the two concertos and is given a most touching reading that simply presents the music as it is - no histrionics or mere note reading, just an assured touch of musicality. In the Dvorak concerto, Steinbacher is appropriately more outwardly virtuosic and for once, thanks to superb balancing of Janowski and the recording, one relishes the interplay (particularly) of the woodwind and her solo lines. Tempo choices are not extreme in either way for each of the three movements, so all the music is allowed (as in all good Dvorak performances) to speak easily without a sense of dragging or being rushed. A fine reading of this relatively little heard and recorded work, one that does much to give it a better reputation in this listeners mind than other commentators have granted it in the past. All in all, this is a stunning debut from Steinbacher, showing a really musical understanding of two very different scores and also an excellent partnership with Janowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin; hopefully Steinbacker and Janowski will work together again for there is real chemistry on display here. As for comparisons in style to Fischer, Steinbacher is her equal on this evidence and quite possibly better in that her vibrato is less steely and so her sound is more relaxed when desired, making for a more varied timbre. The sound from Pentatone (in a co-production with Deutschlandradio Kultur) is extraordinary as befits the Szymanowski. Rarely does a violin concerto sound so naturally balanced vis a vis soloist and orchestra yet retain so much of the myriad of sounds that Szymanowski throws at them. The dynamic range is spectacular as well and arguably sets new standards for the label. Highly recommended in every way possible. Performance 5 stars / Sonics 5 Stars --http://www.sa-cd.net/showreviews/6121#6714