Composer: Max Bruch, William Kroll, Charles Camille Saint-Saëns, Pablo de Sarasate, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Henryk Wieniawski
Performer: Michael Rabin, Lothar Broddack
Orchestra: RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester
Conductor: Thomas Schippers
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Audite
Catalogue: AUDITE95607
Release: 2009
Size: 686 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Applause
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26
02. I. Vorspiel. Allegro Moderato
03. II. Adagio
04. III. Finale. Allegro energico – Presto
05. Wieniawski: Banjo and Fiddle
Wieniawski: Caprice in A Minor, Op. 18
06. No. 4
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42
07. No. 1: Méditation. Andante molto Cantabile
08. Sarasate: Carmen-Fantasie, Op. 25
Sarasate: Danzas Españolas
09. No. 1: Malagueña, Op. 21 No. 1
10. No. 2: Habanera, Op. 21, No. 2
11. No. 6: Zapateado, Op. 23 No. 2
12. Saint-Saëns: Havanaise in E Major, Op. 83
Michael Rabin was a virtuoso of the highest order, one of the most talented violinists of the 20th century. A child prodigy, he performed in public for the first time aged only eleven. From the early 1950s, Rabin gave concerts across the globe and made numerous recordings, including the complete Paganini Caprices. He worked himself into a state of exhaustion, going through a crisis in the 1960s which temporarily compromised his playing. However, Rabin managed to recover and return to his former glory.These recordings, made by the RIAS and released here for the first time, document his comeback in an impressive manner: the live recording of Max Bruch’s First Violin Concerto, made in the Berlin Philharmonie, is of particular interest as Rabin never made an LP recording of it. In the short virtuoso pieces, the violinist – who died at a tragically young age – demonstrates himself to have been a romantic virtuoso par excellence: he displays a sensuous tone and an enthralling technique.
Among the many tragically short and troubled careers in the history of music, certainly the life of violinist Michael Rabin ranks high among those from the twentieth century. Born into a family of musical elites, Rabin quickly followed suit and found himself thrust into the musical spotlight by his early teens. After more than a decade of an astoundingly busy touring and recording schedule, Rabin’s playing took a rapid turn for the worse causing him to temporarily leave the stage. He was able to pull his life back together in time for a final, glorious push only to die tragically from a fall when only 35 years of age. This Audite album compiles Rabin’s complete recordings made for the RIAS Berlin, made primarily in 1969 after his successful return to the stage. The disc opens with what turns out to be the least successful piece on the program: Bruch’s G minor Violin Concerto. The problem with this performance does not rest with Rabin, but with the disastrously sloppy performance given by the RIAS Symphonie-Orchester. Tutti sections are one trainwreck after another, and listeners can almost hear Rabin trying to steady the out-of-control orchestra each time he enters. The remainder of the album, however, features Rabin with pianist Lothar Broddack in a selection of virtuoso works by Kroll, Wieniawski, Tchaikovsky, and Sarasate. Here, it is immediately obvious why Rabin was in such high demand. His technique is simply astounding and completely effortless. Beyond just pyrotechnics, though, Rabin actually infuses these short pieces with genuine and convincing musical interest. The final piece, Saint-Saëns’ Op. 83 “Havanaise,” is the only one recorded prior to his temporary departure from stage. It is sadly obvious the effects that the extreme pressure of his career were taking on his abilities.