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Opus Music Reviews

"Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) was one of the most revered musicians of his time. As a thirteen-year-old prodigy, he put Beethoven's violin concerto into the repertoire in his London debut performance, with Felix Mendelssohn conducting. ... Joachim was probably more responsible than any other individual for the circulation of Brahm's music. They held a common aesthetic outlook, and the little of Joachim's orchestral music that has come our way shows the same general characteristics as that of his celebrated colleague, in coloring, breadth, and mood. There are also Schumannesque touches, notably in the opening of the Third Concerto and in the overture. ... The concerto is serious in tone; both eloquent and tender in the Andante that constitutes the dirge, it ultimately abandons mourning in favor of an outgoing dance like finale. The whole is beautifully crated, a noble work so is the overture, in many respects comparable to Schumann's similarly proportioned "Manfred" Overture. Joachim was unquestionably a more adept orchestrator than Schumann, and in this respect the equal of Brahms. If only these exalted works had a tune or tow one might wish to remember!Even without memorable tunes, these performances make a very strong case for the music. The playing and conducting are superb - brilliant and committed, and charged with the sort of flair that Joachim himself could have used more of in the writing. Takako Nishizaki's tone is pure and even, and she responds as tastefully and communicatively to the vivacity of the finale as to the solemnity of the earlier sections. Meir Minsky, Polish-born and Israeli-trained, has been attracting notice in Germany for his performances of the original versions of some of Bruckner's symphonies. He has the orchestra on its toes, and conveys a a sense of real enthusiasm for the gorgeous richness of Joachim's scoring; the lance between orchestra and soloist in the concerto is ideal. The recording is splendidly balanced and richly realistic, too, and the fine JVC pressing presents all these elements in the best light.

Richard Fried