Sasha Rozhdestvensky plays both of the these concertos well, but not quite well enough. The Glazunov, a delightful work that’s high on charm and gloss, goes better than the Shostakovich. Rozhdestvensky’s emotionally warm, very “Russian” sound, occasionally rough-edged and heavy on the vibrato, suits this late-romantic piece rather well. There’s also no denying that he (and his dad) really dig into the grittier bits of the Shostakovich scherzo and finale (after a beautifully moody opening Nocturne).
But as so often with this conductor, who really does have the genuine Shostakovich sound in his blood, tempos drag, especially in the finale. At the same time, the great third-movement passacaglia gets off to a curiously leaden start. As it rises to a climax you find yourself paying attention to the low brass as much as to the solo violin. It’s impressive and gripping, just not entirely for the right reasons. The sonics are good, but like the performances just not competitive with the very best.
