Kiev Camerata Vol. 2

Victor Carr Jr

Artistic Quality:

Sound Quality:

This uniquely interesting disc opens with a bright and bouncy Dumbarton Oaks Concerto in which the Kiev Camerata scores by paying scrupulous attention to Stravinsky’s exacting rhythms. The performance is genuinely satisfying, even if Boulez with the Ensemble Intercontemporain offers similar drive and energy, married to fuller, more sonorous instrumental textures. Wagner’s Siegfried-Idyll ushers in a drastically different mood and atmosphere, with the Kiev players having traded in their barbs for butter. Conductor Virko Baley’s relaxed approach, rich in tonal warmth and careful phrasing, makes this performance one of the more serene Siegfried Idyll’s on disc.

Wagner’s golden timbres have scarcely faded away before the modernistic tones of Iva Karabyts’ Concertino for Nine Instruments steal in like a cold draft, after which Valentin Silvestrov’s Intermezzo defeats all expectations of that title with its harsh, astringent harmonies and sharp-edged rhythms. Virko Baley’s dazzling, brightly-hued Adam’s Apple, the most upbeat of these three new works, ends the disc in a brilliant display of color. TNC’s close-perspective recording brings a welcome clarity, if not all that much depth.


Recording Details:

Reference Recording: Stravinsky: Boulez (DG), Wagner: Karajan (DG)

IGOR STRAVINSKY - Dumbarton Oaks
RICHARD WAGNER - Siegfried-Idyll
IVAN KARABYTS - Concertino for Nine Instruments
VALENTIN SILVESTROV - Intermezzo
VIRKO BALEY - Adam's Apple

Search Music Reviews

Search Sponsor

  • Insider Reviews only
  • Click here for Search Tips

Visit Our Merchandise Store

Visit Store
  • Benjamin Bernheim Rules as Met’s Hoffmann
    Benjamin Bernheim Rules as Met’s Hoffmann Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center, NY; Oct 24, 2024 Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann is a nasty work. Despite its
  • RIP David Vernier, Editor-in-Chief
    David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com’s founding Editor-in-Chief passed away Thursday morning, August 1, 2024 after a long battle with cancer. The end came shockingly quickly. Just a
  • Finally, It’s SIR John
    He’d received many honors before, but it wasn’t until last week that John Rutter, best known for his choral compositions and arrangements, especially works related