Two Views of Taneyev's Suite de Concert

Sergei Taneyev

The music of Russian composer Sergei Taneyev (1856-1915) is seldom heard in concert, but there are far more recordings available than years ago. When these discs of Taneyev's Suite de concert pour violon et orchestre were released there were just a handful.

It's a shame that Taneyev remains relatively obscure because his works are rewarding to hear. Previously I've posted his Symphony No. 4 in a powerful reading from the London Symphony and the Russian-Israeli conductor Yuri Ahronovitch (1932-2002). Today, Ahronovitch returns with the Suite de Concert, this time with the Vienna Symphony and the then-young violinist Christian Altenburger (b. 1957). The recording is from circa 1981.

Yuri Ahronovitch

For contrast, I've added a much different interpretation from violinist David Oistrakh, the Moscow Philharmonic and conductor Kirill Kondrashin, dating from about 1958.

The Altenburger-Ahronovitch Recording

Writing in High Fidelity, the critic R.D. Darrell put the composer in historical perspective: "As neither an overt nationalist nor an unabashed romanticist, Taneyev got lost in the abyss between, on the one hand, the favorites of connoisseurs, the Mighty Handful (Mussorgsky, et al.), and on the other, the darlings of the mass public, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff." Darrell described this present work as a "prodigally ingenious experiment in setting up and solving the problems of creating a bravura concerted work for violin and orchestra."

"On first acquaintance, one may be over conscious of the work's scarcely disguised contrivance: on rehearings, however, one will respond more readily to its genuine attractions - especially those of the piquant Gavotte, the oddly evocative (indeed, Berliozian) Conte, and the extended Tema con variazioni."

Christian Altenburger

David Hall in Stereo Review provided a fair assessment of the album: "Young Christian Altenburger's new recording will not make me forget the famous Oistrakh performance [note: a different one from the record discussed below], but he does a much more than merely creditable job with the solo part, bringing to it a sweet but not overly lush tone and ample dexterity. Yuri Ahronovitch and the Vienna Symphony provide warm and wholehearted collaboration."

The LP is derived from an early digital recording, pleasing but with the violinist backwardly balanced. This is a fairly truthful perspective, but it contributes to the impression that Altenburger is a cool customer - a marked contrast to the Oistrakh recording discussed below.

As with the Taneyev fourth symphony, the recording was made by producer Wolf Erichson, probably for his Seon label. My transfer is from an American pressing in my collection.

The link below is to the 16-bit, 44.1kHz version. A 24-bit, 96kHz version is available on request.

LINK to Altenburger-Ahronovitch recording (16-44)

The Oistrakh-Kondrashin Recording

David Oistrakh

The eminent Russian violinist David Oistrakh (1908-74) was a proponent of the Suite de concert. An on-line Oistrakh discography shows him as recording it as early as 1950 (although I suspect this is a transfer of a concert). In 1956, HMV produced a commercial recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Nikolai Malko. A few years later came this Russian effort with the Moscow Philharmonic and Kirill Kondrashin (1914-81). There was yet another version in 1960 with Kurt Sanderling.

Kirill Kondrashin

Oistrakh's affinity for the work shows in this commanding performance - with the soloist close-up and the band in a very resonant space behind. The contrasts in Taneyev's work are emphasized by Oistrakh and Kondrashin, who is at one with the violinist. This oversized reading is not something you might hear today (not often, anyway), but it is impressive - and enjoyable.

This transfer comes from an American pressing as found on Internet Archive and remastered in ambient stereo for this post.

LINK to Oistrakh-Kondrashin recording