account
basket
Challenge Records Int. logo
Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Sergei Prokofiev

Rudolf Koelman / Musikkollegium Winterthur

Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Price: € 19.95
Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917273625
Catnr: CC 72736
Release date: 10 February 2017
Buy
1 CD
✓ in stock
€ 19.95
Buy
 
Label
Challenge Classics
UPC
0608917273625
Catalogue number
CC 72736
Release date
10 February 2017

"the more you listen the better this gets"

Music Web International, 16-10-2017
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
Press
EN
NL
DE

About the album

During the summer of 1917, whilst the first World War was raging, Sergei Prokofiev found inspiration for his first Violin Concerto, Op. 19, during walks through the fields. This concerto’s premiere in Paris did not take place until 1923. The Parisians found it “harmless” and “old-fashioned.” Despite putting all violinistic techniques to the test, the work indeed features a distinctly lyrical character. Even if Prokofiev resisted reproaches made against the style of this work, he nonetheless paid heed to them: in the works written immediately after this concerto, he adopted a markedly more modern pace. Unlike the first concerto, the second one was not written in the idyll of nature, but during Prokofiev’s nomadic phase in 1935 between Paris, Voronezh, Baku and Madrid, where it was premiered: “I wanted something completely different from the first one, in terms of both content and form.” Whereas many listeners are reminded of spring-like feelings in the first
Prokofievs Eerste en Tweede
Tijdens de zomer van 1917, midden in de Eerste Wereldoorlog, vond Sergej Prokofiev inspiratie voor zijn Eerste Vioolconcert toen hij door de velden liep. Het concert kreeg pas in 1923 zijn première, in Parijs. De Parijzenaren vonden het werk onschuldig en ouderwets. Ondanks dat het werk het uiterste vraagt van de violist, heeft het stuk inderdaad overwegend lyrisch karakter. Zelfs als Prokofiev deze harde woorden kon weerstaan, nam hij de kritiek toch ter harte: in de werken geschreven direct na de première van zijn Eerste Vioolconcert gebruikte hij een opmerkelijk modernere stijl.

In tegenstelling tot zijn Eerste Vioolconcert was zijn tweede niet geschreven in het idylle van de natuur, maar tijdens Prokofievs nomadische periode in 1935, toen hij reisde tussen Parijs, Voronezh, Baku en Madrid, waar het stuk zijn première kende. Prokofiev vertelde dat hij voor zijn Tweede Vioolconcert op zoek was naar iets volledig anders, zowel qua inhoud als qua vorm. Daar waar luisteraars herinnerd worden aan de lente in het Eerste Vioolconcert, kiest Prokofiev in zijn Tweede Vioolconcert voor een meer nostalgische, en af en toe zelfs romantische, klank. De compositie is vaak kleinschalig, homofoon waarin kleine ensembles binnen het orkest belicht worden.

Van 1996 tot 1999 was Rudolf Koelman concertmeester (aanvoerder van de eerste violisten en hoofdvertegenwoordiger van het orkest) van het Concertgebouworkest, Amsterdam. Daarna begon hij zijn carrière als solist.
Im Sommer des Jahres 1917, es wütete der Erste Weltkrieg, fand Sergej Prokofjew Inspiration für sein Erstes Violinkonzert Op. 19, auf Spaziergängen durch die Felder. Die Uraufführung des Konzertes in Paris fand erst 1923 statt – die Pariser empfanden es als „harmlos“ und „altmodisch“. Obwohl es den Solisten mit allen erdenklichen Violintechniken auf Herz und Nieren prüft, besitzt das Werk einen dezidiert lyrischen Charakter. Wenn Prokofjew sich auch allen Vorwürfen gegen den Stil seines Werkes widersetzte, schenkte er ihnen dennoch Beachtung: in den Werken, die direkt nach dem Konzert entstanden, zieht er bedeutend modernere Saiten auf.

Im Gegensatz zum Ersten Konzert entstand das Zweite nicht in der Idylle der Natur, sondern 1935 während Prokofjews Pendeln zwischen Paris, Woronesch, Baku und Madrid, wo es uraufgeführt wurde. Er wolle etwas gänzlich Anderes als das Erste Konzert, so Prokofjew, sowohl in Inhalt als auch Form. Wo viele Hörer im Ersten Konzert an frühlingshafte Gefühle erinnert werden, schlägt Prokofjew hier einen nostalgischeren, manchmal gar romantischen Ton an. Die Komposition ist oft reduziert, homophon und zieht Kammerbesetzung großen Texturen vor.

Artist(s)

Rudolf Koelman (violin)

Dutch violinist Rudolf Koelman regularly performs worldwide as a soloist with numerous internationally renowned orchestras, such as KBS Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, WDR Radio Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and many others. One of Jascha Heifetz’s last pupils (LA, 1978 to 1981) and first leader of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (until 1999), Rudolf Koelman teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and is frequently invited as a juror and guest professor at international violin competitions and master courses around the world. Rudolf Koelman has made numerous TV-, radio- and CD recordings among them a live recording of all 24 Paganini Capricci. In 2010, he performed in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and recorded live both Violin...
more
Dutch violinist Rudolf Koelman regularly performs worldwide as a soloist with numerous internationally renowned orchestras, such as KBS Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, WDR Radio Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and many others.
One of Jascha Heifetz’s last pupils (LA, 1978 to 1981) and first leader of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (until 1999), Rudolf Koelman teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and is frequently invited as a juror and guest professor at international violin competitions and master courses around the world.
Rudolf Koelman has made numerous TV-, radio- and CD recordings among them a live recording of all 24 Paganini Capricci. In 2010, he performed in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and recorded live both Violin Concertos 1 & 2 by Paganini (CC 72343 Challenge Classics). These performances were released on Challenge Records and won the prestigious Edison Award 2010 in The Netherlands.
Rudolf Koelman plays the Stradivari “Ex Woolhouse” 1720.

less

Douglas Boyd (conductor)

Composer(s)

Sergei Prokofiev

Sergei Prokofiev was born in the countryside of Ukraine. He studied from 1903 at the conservatory of St Petersburg, under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Anatoli Liadov among others. He was educated as a composer, pianist and conductor. Initially, he made a name for himself as a pianist. In 1918, he left the Soviet Union for the USA, but wasn't able to succeed, and he decided to move to Paris in 1920. His concert tours brought him back to the Soviet Union in 1927, who lured him back for good in 1936. Prokofiev died in march 1953, on the same day as Joseph Stalin. Prokofiev is considered as one of the greatest Russian composers of the twentieth century, even though he wasn't a...
more
Sergei Prokofiev was born in the countryside of Ukraine. He studied from 1903 at the conservatory of St Petersburg, under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Anatoli Liadov among others. He was educated as a composer, pianist and conductor. Initially, he made a name for himself as a pianist. In 1918, he left the Soviet Union for the USA, but wasn't able to succeed, and he decided to move to Paris in 1920. His concert tours brought him back to the Soviet Union in 1927, who lured him back for good in 1936. Prokofiev died in march 1953, on the same day as Joseph Stalin.
Prokofiev is considered as one of the greatest Russian composers of the twentieth century, even though he wasn't a great innovator. He generally applied the strict classical forms and structures to his works and focused on a classical tonality, with a few exceptions of expressive dissonants and incidental bitonality. Yet, he is only explicitly neoclassicistic in his popular 'Classical Symphony', his first symphony composed in 1917. Many of his works show his humour, while his later works presented his darker, more serious side. One of his best known works is the musical fairytale Peter and the Wolf, which is popular among children all over the world.
less

Press

the more you listen the better this gets
Music Web International, 16-10-2017

The whole sounds vibrant, powerful and diligently.
Nieuwe Noten, 12-7-2017

This he does by sovereign manner, and sometimes one is inclined to something of the polished brilliant Heifetz playing out from his style to hear.
Fono Forum, 01-7-2017

The first part is a dreamy andantino with a beautiful melody as the main theme. The third is a kind of natural idyll, largely lyrical in nature, which can cause spring-blowing feelings. The middle part is faster, with occasional grotesque rhythm changes and contrasts.
Kerk en leven, 19-6-2017

Koelman has more of the character
Gramophone, 26-5-2017

He is so absorbed in the orchestra that his Stradivarius completely dreams away in a kind of tree full of melodious birds - now melancholic, then all together again loud chirping
Luister, 19-5-2017

For both of Prokoviev’s Violin Concertos, Rudolf Koelman has chosen a more lyrical, heartfelt way. His approach is matched by the Musikkollegium Winterthur under the baton of its former principal conductor Douglas Boyd. In contrast to other more dynamic recordings this performance is more relaxed without being dreary.
Pizzicato, 03-4-2017

Play album Play album

Often bought together with..

Frédéric Chopin
Ghosts
Nino Gvetadze
Felix Mendelssohn, Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach - Mendelssohn - Metamorphosis
Michael Gees
Cyril Scott, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Songs of Quest and Inspiration
Robbert Muuse & Micha van Weers

You might also like..

Europeana (vinyl)
Joachim Kühn
Camille Saint-Saëns, Alexander Glazunov
Violin Concertos
Rudolf Koelman
Gerhard Hamm, Karel Hamm
Rediscovered - Bagatellen and Klavierstücke
Camiel Boomsma
Franz Schubert
Song Cycles - Die schöne Müllerin / Schwanengesang / Winterreise
Christoph Prégardien / Andreas Staier / Michael Gees
Ludwig van Beethoven
Complete Symphonies & Concertos (box set)
The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra / Jan Willem de Vriend
Various composers
Father & Son (reissue)
Christoph & Julian Prégardien
Various composers
Alles Walzer, einmal anders
Dora Deliyska
Nikolay Afanasyev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
Novoselye • Housewarming
ROctet
Franz Schubert
The Complete Symphonies Vol. 2 Symphony No.1, D.82 / Symphony No.3 D.200 / Symphony No.8 D.759
Residentie Orkest The Hague / Jan Willem de Vriend
Various composers
Eclectic | Being Me
Marie François
Carl Nielsen, Johan Halvorsen, Johan Svendsen
Violin Concerto Op. 33 / Andante Religioso / Romance Op. 26
Lisa Jacobs / Bremer Philharmoniker / Mikhail Agrest
Heitor Villa-Lobos, Radamés Gnattali
Flor da Noite
Luís Rabello / Floor Braam