This is an area of the violin repertory that has been exceptionally lucky on disc, and if neither of these issues quite competes with the very best versions available, they both have their place, particularly the very useful compilation of Zimmermann’s recordings of all the violin works. The second of his two discs originally appeared in 1989 with this same coupling – the two violin sonatas as well as the Five Melodies and Heifetz’s arrangement of the “March” from The Love for Three Oranges – but the first, exceptionally generous coupling is drawn from different sources. Originally, the First Concerto was coupled with the Tchaikovsky Concerto and the Second with the Sibelius, while the solo and duo sonatas, never issued here before, were recorded at different times in Holland, with Zimmermann taking both parts in the curious Double Violin Sonata.
I even wonder whether he gained from having to listen to himself as he recorded the second part, for this has a tension and concentration not always present in the performances of the concertos and sonatas. The delightful Solo Violin Sonata, too, brings a superb performance, clean and pure, the piece which Prokofiev wrote in 1947 in the simplest diatonic style with corporate performance by young artists partly in mind. As so often in his later music, he totally transcended any limitations imposed by his Soviet masters, naturally finding originality in conventional expression.
Otherwise Zimmermann offers finely crafted performances, marked by poetry in the lyrical movements and quicksilver lightness in such a movement as the central Scherzo of the First Concerto, which is taken exceptionally fast. Yet too often the performances of the concertos and sonatas for violin and piano are rather lacking in the bite and spikiness which is a necessary element in this composer’s music. Reviewing the Second Concerto (7/92) SJ wondered why, when he admired so much detail, he found himself so uninvolved. Zimmermann’s is a relatively relaxed style, with a degree of restraint coupled with consistently sweet, pure tone, and that works very well in the Five Melodies, transcribed from the Songs without Words, written in 1920 as vocalises for the soprano, Nina Koshetz. In the sonatas he is not helped by the slightly distant recording balance, and the pianist is sometimes a little square rhythmically, not so responsive as his partner. None the less, despite any reservations, there is much to enjoy in these thoughtful readings, an excellent compilation at mid price.
Anne Akiko Meyers also offers the Five Melodies, and though she is heavier-handed than Zimmermann, her pianist, Li Juan, is markedly subtler than Lonquich. In the concertos too Meyers offers warm and confident performances which yet lack a degree of refinement. Too often, as at the start of the First Concerto, when one expects the gentlest entry, Meyers comes in at a healthy mezzo forte, lacking the mystery which Zimmermann among others conveys. In this the relatively close balance of the soloist clearly plays a part, just as Zimmermann’s readings are affected in the opposite direction. Meyers attacks such an outward-going movement as the finale of the Second Concerto with splendid panache, but this remains a disc to recommend simply to those who want this all-Prokofiev coupling.EG