A very generously filled CD with three appealing Russian violin concertos played by this month’s ’One to watch’, Julia Fischer. [The RNO] under Yakov Kreizberg accompany superbly and if, as the booklet implies, this CD was made in two days then the concentration level must have been immense!
James Jolly
The Gramohone
Julia Fischer stands out. What’s most impressive on this disc is [Julia Fischer’s] revitalization of the Khatchaturian Violin Concerto Fischer makes it sound fresh again. In part, the bloom results from her burnished tone (sensuous but firmly focused) and her confident technique (note the rhythmic definition of her opening gestures); simply as virtuoso display, this is a charismatic performance. But there’s a lot more than surface appeal. Because of her unwavering concentration, she managesto make each detail, each swing in mood, register clearly, and because of her unflagging sense of shape, she makes sure that each element contributes to a lucid unfolding of the overall structure. a nobility unmatched by any other recording I knowurgently recommended.
Peter J. Rabonowitz
International Record Review
“All in all, this is a very impressive CD debut for Fischer. I look forward to listening to it repeatedly in the coming months, and to hearing still more from her, in the future.”
Barry Brenesal
Fanfare
Since January is a good time to celebrate new life, I’d like to give a warm if belated welcome to Julia Fischer’s debut disc on PentaTone Classics of Russian violin concertos (5186 059). Barely 21, this German talent delivers Khachaturian, Glazunov and Prokofiev No 1 with a lyrical fervour and unwavering confidence that deserves to win her many new fans; she’s already far beyond promising, well into full achievement. With this repertoire, no pale loitering by musicians is allowed; happily, Yakov Kreizberg and the Russian National Orchestra make ideal, full-blooded partners. If this CD doesn’t banish winter chills, frankly, nothing will."
The Times
“ Fischer offers scintillating readings of the Khachaturian, Prokofiev’sgreat Violin Concerto No. 1 and Glazunov’s strangely meandering Violin Concerto. Besides being smart and accomplished, the violinist enjoys an astonishing ease of expression that recalls young Itzhak Perlman and Gil Shaham. In some ways, Fischer surpasses them with buoyant, lyrical
sensibility behind her technique.”
David Patrick Stearns
Philadelphia Enquirer
“ A striking début sees a young violinist doing full justice to a work she loves… The freshness of her way with the Khachaturian is immediately striking in the chattering figuration of the opening, and she brings a rare tenderness to the lyrical second subject…The clarity of Fischer’s performance in the finale brings lightness and sparkle…A unique coupling, superbly recorded.”
Edward Greenfield
Gramophone
“I don’t believe I have heard a better performance of the Khachaturian than Fischer’s, and with the hi-res surround sonics we have here a sure winner. The Prokofiev and Glazunov concertos prove excellent companions and also receive sparkling performances. As you can see by the time total, this disc is packed to the gills with great music.”
John Sunier
Audiophile Audition
“In any event, a model recording and indispensable.”
Hary Pearson
Avguide.com
The young and prodigiously gifted German violinist Julia Fischer makes her recording debut with this terrific disc of three Russian violin concertos The Khachaturian, in which the world of Spartacus and the Sabre Dance never seems all that far away, is an irrepressibly exuberant piece, to which Fischer and the Russian National Orchestra under the dynamic baton of Yakov Kreizberg bring vibrant colour and buoyant rhythms. The Glazunov, inexplicably neglected these days, is one of his most winning works, innocent of the saccharine pallor that could sometimes afflict his music and here given with a flair that highlights its tender melodic lines and vitality. Neither concerto is shamed by being in the company of Prokofiev’s more widely performed First Concerto, given in a performance that blends subtlety of colouring, haunting atmosphere and virtuoso flourish.
Geoffrey Norris
The Telegraph
the most soulful reading of the (usually neglected) Khachaturian on record. [In] the Prokofiev First Violin Concerto, Fischer and the engineers reveal the piece’s inner workings a model recording and indispensable."
The Absolute Sound - April 2005
For her first disc, the young German prodigy Julia Fischer chose a repertoire that suits her perfectly. In the Khachaturian concerto, she combines impetuosity and reflection as much as this romantic, exotic work allows. Her direction of the melody is always within the limits of the best taste Very different and imaginative in the details [is] the First Concerto of Prokofiev dazzling. The orchestra is very remarkable."
Le Monde de la Musique
In the Khatchaturian Violin Concerto, the large but extremely graceful solo part does not owe its attraction alone to the virtuoso gesture, but also to the intensive dialogue between soloist and orchestra. And this dialogue unfolds excellently between Julia Fischer, Yakov Kreizberg and the exceptional Russian National Orchestra. A remarkable debut CD. "
Bayern 4 Klassik
these are crisp, bright, agile performances Fischer has the solid and sympathetic backing of the Russian National Orchestra under Yakov Kreizberg. [The] ambience is natural and full of life."
The Scotsman
“ It will be a shame if this disc doesn’t win an award or two, as the three distinctive Russian works Julia Fischer has chosen for her CD debut are immensely satisfying and thrillingly executed”.
The Birmingham Post
The premiere recording for this young German violinist (born in 1983) affirms a temperament of fire equipped with dazzling vitality. [Julia Fischer] fulfilled a dream by playing these works with her orchestra of choice: the Russian National Ease, maturity and temperament spring forth from the first passages of the Khachaturian, with a vision clear, concise and enthralling, built with a logical projection that is never diverted. Prokofiev’s first violin concerto is performed with lyricism and imagination. Finally, [in the Glazunov] Julia Fischer affirms with ease its temperament and richness of color balances in perfect symbiosis with the orchestra led by Yakov Kreizberg. The festive and bucolic third movement concludes an ambitious and auspicious recording, leaving us to impatiently await the next one.
Noël Godts
Ramifications
“Fischer is utterly brilliant throughout: Technically accomplished, she’s deep where that’s called for, humorous where humor is needed. This disc is a winner.”
Sarah Bryan Miller
St Louis Post
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