Aram Khachaturian - Symphony No. 2; Piano & Violin Concertos (Various Artists)

Information

Composer: Aram Khachaturian

CD1

• Piano Concerto
• Violin Concerto

CD2

• Masquerada Suite
• Symphony No. 2

Alicia de Larrocha / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos

Ruggiero Ricci / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Anatole Fistoulari

London Symphony Orchestra / Stanley Black

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Aram Khachaturian

Date: 1972; 1956; 1977; 1962

Label: Decca

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Review

The opening movement of the Piano Concerto (unlike the corresponding movement in the Violin Concerto) is not Khachaturian at his best, and can too easily sound inflated, as it does in the very romantic performance on Decca by Alicia de Larrocha and Raphael Fruhbeck de Burgos. The effect is compounded by sumptuous orchestral sound (provided by the Decca engineers) and the glowing pianistic colours that Larrocha has so readily to hand. The musicians are very wayward at the beginning, and although there is no doubt that their slow movement is evocative and sultry, it reflects more southern landscapes than the composer would have expected, and the flexotone wails like a banshee. The finale is agreeably jaunty, but the Armenian performance has much more dash.

Ricci’s account of the Violin Concerto is most enjoyable. His bravura is totally unselfconscious so that the predominating feeling is lyrical; although the finale is certainly not without energy and fire, the effect here is surprisingly intimate. The unforgettable Armenian lyrical melody (I couldn’t stop humming it for days) which dominates the first movement and returns in the finale, is sinuously ardent. Fistoulari, who conducted the work’s London premiere, knows his stuff. I enjoyed this performance very much; it has real spontaneity and the early (July 1956) stereo is surprisingly full and smooth. The Masquerade Suite could hardly be better played: the LSO sparkle spontaneously and Stanley Black is obviously completely at home. The Second Symphony was composed two years after the Violin Concerto but isn’t in the same league. Its symphonic argument is difficult to perceive, and if the scoring is spectacular, the result is empty. Even so, the sheer conviction of the composer’s interpretation is endearing when the Decca engineers provide such overwhelmingly lush sound.

— Ivan March

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Aram Khachaturian (6 June 1903 – 1 May 1978) was a Soviet Armenian composer and conductor. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, he studied at the Gnessin Musical Institute and the Moscow Conservatory with Nikolai Myaskovsky, among others. As a young composer, he was influenced by contemporary Western music, particularly that of Maurice Ravel. In his Symphony No. 1 and later works, this influence was supplanted by a growing appreciation of folk traditions. His other works include Symphonies No. 2 & No. 3, the symphonic suite Masquerade, the ballet Spartacus, concertos, as well as film scores and incidental music.

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Alicia de Larrocha (23 May 1923 – 25 September 2009) was a Spanish pianist, considered as one of the 20th century's greatest piano legends. Born in Barcelona, she began piano studies at age three with Frank Marshall. She debuted at six at the 1929 Seville World's Fair and performed with an orchestra by eleven. By the 1940s, she was a major concert attraction in Spain and soon toured internationally, including North America and Southern Africa. Famed for her interpretations of Spanish composers such as Albéniz, Granados, de Falla and Mompou, she received multiple awards for her extensive recordings.

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Ruggiero Ricci (24 July 1918 – 5 August 2012) was an American violinist known for performances and recordings of Paganini's works. A prodigy, he debuted publicly at age 10 and soon appeared at Carnegie Hall. Trained in both American and German violin traditions, Ricci became the first violinist to record Paganini's complete 24 Caprices in their original form. Over a 70-year career, he performed more than 6,000 concerts worldwide, made over 500 recordings, premiered works by contemporary composers, and taught at leading music institutions. He was also a respected pedagogue and author of a major violin technique treatise.

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