Aaron Rosand, Live at Mills College (recital dvd)

Description

"A Recital Program Typical of the Golden Era"

Internationally acclaimed virtuoso violinist Aaron Rosand in his first DVD - a recital program in the style of virtuoso violinists of the Golden Era - with piano accompanist Robert Koenig. This film features works by Bach, Tschaikovsky, Sarasate, Chopin, Brahms, LeClair, Franck, and others:

Sonata III in D Major (J.M. LeClair) Sonata in A Major (Cesar Franck) Adagio & Fugue from Sonata I in G minor for Solo Violin (J.S. Bach) Preghiera (Rachmaninoff-Kreisler) Hopak (Moussorgsky-Rachmaninoff) Valse Sentimentale (Tschaikovsky-Press) March (Prokofieff-Heifetz) Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate) Nocturne in C# minor (Chopin-Milstein) Hungarian Dance #2 (Brahms)

So what has compelled this classical artist, at the age of 77, to reach audiences through the new DVD medium? One of best reasons is the preservation of his traditional romantic violin style learned from the old masters that needs to be studied and shared with generations of violinists to come. To SEE Rosand perform is to appreciate his technique.

Actor or director comments : In the course of my extended musical career, I have always tried to add color and variety to my recital programs, and this recital reflects an approach to programming typical of the virtuoso violinists of the Golden Era. Programs were planned like a well-balanced dinner with a tasty appetizer, a main course, and desserts, of course. The greats of this era gave recitals that deployed their particular talents in varied repertoire and programs were designed to showcase all facets of violin technique as well as to appeal to the audience.

In contrast, today's violin recitals are dominated by sonatas. Invariably, there is a music stand on stage and pages are being turned. This approach was unheard of in the past, as violinists memorized every note. In the Golden Era, short pieces and transcriptions played an important role in the second half of recital programs. An individual artist could move the audience with his or her style, personality and virtuosity. Recital audiences of that era clamored to listen to their favorite masters' interpretations of familiar violin repertoire and transcriptions.

It was a pleasure for me to perform these and other violin masterpieces in recital to inaugurate a music scholarship fund at Mills College, where my wife was a graduate. I am honored that the scholarship fund bears my name. - Aaron Rosand

Customer Reviews:

A Most Pleasant Surprise.......2005-09-27

Aaron's name would sure ring a bell to most music lovers, but to my shame, this is the first time I listen to him.( Does he concertize much?)

Anyway, it turned out to be a great pleasure listening to him. He is definitely the most impressing American violinist. To a certain extent, he does remind one of Szeryng, if not Zimbalist his own violin teacher. Perhaps one shouldn't use the word "American", for there is nothing in his playing that links with or suggests to us about America. Instead, he is solidly a world class master violinist of the top rank.

The sound and sight of this DVD is most excellent and even better than "Perlman in Russia". What is more, there isn't any suggestion of virtuosity for virtuosity's sake at all. But I'm not sure if the support given by Aaron's accompanist, as recorded, is enough. That perhaps has more to do with the recording engineer than the accompanist himself-- something that only those who had actually attended the recital could tell.

A Historic Recital.......2005-08-02

If you're an Aaron Rosand fan, you already own this DVD. If you don't, definitely get a copy of it. This is a remarkable and historic recital. What makes it remarkable is the fact that Rosand is still sounding splendid well into his 70's. Most violinists have trouble sounding good at that age and beyond. Rosand shows virtually no signs of fatigue. He was probably the greatest unsung hero of the 20th century violinistic world. He never signed on to major record labels, but produced some of the finest recordings of the standard violin repertoire - and he recorded a lot of non-standard repertoire as well. He has never been a musical risk-taker nor does he specialize in violinistic pyrotechnics. Instead, he gets inside of the music and makes the most out of every phrase. His interpretations aren't always as spontaneous as one might bargain for, although they are not "carefully mapped out" in the way that Szeryng's were. His signature large and robust tone captures the audience at all times. I remember seeing his other filmed recital "An Evening at Bel Eden", which has yet to be released on DVD. The agility of his bow arm, intonation,
and the crispness of attacks are no lesser now than they were over 20 years ago.

There are many pleasing moments throughout, but the best come with the Franck Sonata. Every phrase is perfectly-shaped, with solid support from Robert Koenig at the piano. The much-played LeClair sonata in D, opening the recital, is also great. A number of encore items including Brahms' Hungarian Dance #2, Moussorgsky/Rachmaninoff's "Hopak", and the Chopin/Milstein "Nocturne in C# minor" form the bulk of the recital. Koenig's accompaniment is usually superb, with only a few minor ensemble problems. Rosand is not quite at his best in the Adagio and Fugue from the Bach G minor sonata, but this does not cast any shadow on an otherwise splendid program.

The only real drawback of this DVD lies in its presentation. While the photography and sound are great, it was edited to be chopped up into chapters, with most of the applause edited out. I'm sure Rosand must've made some comments at the beginning or ending of the recital; we don't hear more than a few words from him (although there's a microphone placed onstage). Still, for those of us Rosandophiles, this DVD is reason enough to rejoice.

A Legend.......2005-08-01

A great DVD for any violin enthusiast. Although Aaron Rosand never achieved the celebrity enjoyed by his peers, such as Heifetz and Milstein, his place among them is cemented by his command of the violin and its repertoire. Aaron Rosand is a violinist's violinist.

The both the video quality and audio quality are excellent. Aaron Rosand's playing is still remarkable, even at age 76, which is when he made this recording!

Reviewer, also Live at Mills College.......2005-02-14

I was actually at this concert in the audience, and I'm excited that it's been turned into a DVD. Talk about sensory overload! Mr. Rosand's playing was lush to the ears, and watching him play really did give one a sense of a classic style. I'm a violinist myself, and despite having seen the likes of Pearlman and Menuhin in person, my eyes were wide open with amazement for quite a bit of the concert. You want to know just how romantic this concert was? My date for the event turned into my girlfriend just a few hours afterward, and is now my wife. So see this DVD with someone you love (or want to...)

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