Lance's program, Sat. Nov. 14, 2009: Leonid Kogan, violinist

[Lance]

[l-r] Nina Kogan (pianist), Leonid Kogan (violinist), Elizaveta Gilels Kogan (violinist), Pavel Kogan (violinist/conductor)

Dear friends of CMG:

On Saturday, November 14th, 2009, hear a tribute to the Ukrainian-born violinist LEONID KOGAN—at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. There were two supreme Russian/Ukrainian violinists: David Oistrakh and Leonid Kogan. The Russians spent more time publicizing Oistrakh's career, partly because he was older by 16 years. Kogan was not a person who enjoyed pushing himself and after glorifying his career. As a result, his career was always oveshadowed by Oistrakh, though after Oistrakh's untimly passing, Kogan's career blossomed. However, he made his mark as one of the world's supreme violinists. [Note in the photo above how much Kogan's wife looks like her brother, pianist Emil Gilels. The resemblance is amazing.]

While on a concert tour of Russia via train, Kogan died on board. He recorded prolifically, especially for the Russian Melodiya label, much of which has been reissued on myriad labels. Kogan also recorded for EMI and RCA Victor. Many of his EMI recordings have been reissued on the Testament label in England.

I would have liked to have dedicated two programs to the violinist to offer true justice to his art, however, I have chosen two works that illustrate the violinist in Baroque and Romantic repertoire that provide delightful listening. A complete Bach solo recording is very rare among his recorded repertoire.

The program is heard at 7:00 p.m. EASTERN time on your computer at this link:

http://wpel.streamon.fm/player/streampl ... 32k&type=1

This week's program features the following:

♫ JS Bach: Solo Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005
♫ Grieg: Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 45 w/Grigori Ginsburg, piano

The program can be heard anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer with speakers and adjust your time schedule to equate to 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. My usual descriptive dialogue about the artist or subject matter precedes the musical content.

I hope you will enjoy the program on November 14, 2009, which can be heard across Mother Earth. I look forward to your comments, especially from those who hear the broadcast via the Internet. We are learning the program is being heard across the world now as well as the entire United States. •

[stenka razin]

Lance, Kogan was a truly great violinist. Your program sounds wonderful, my friend. I look forward to it.
By the way, the English super budget label, Alto has three magnificent CDs of his son Pavel conducting the Moscow Philharmonic in the three Symphonies of Rachmaninov, plus the Symphonic Dances and the Isle of the Dead. The recordings (circa 1990) are first issues on CD and are so good, that his late, great dad would have been so proud of his son. Highly recommended.

[Seán]

I'm looking forward to the program. I love the family photograph and Nina was a gorgeous child.

[John F]

What a great violinist he was. Always in the shadow of the older David Oistrakh, who was not only more famous but arguably more important because of all the new music he inspired and premiered, Kogan produced a more classically beautiful violin tone, and his trio recordings with Gilels and Rostropovich showed that he could meet such strong personalities on common ground. I never saw him in person - as far as i know, he rarely came to the U.S. - but his recordings have always been special to me. In addition to the standard 18th and 19th century works, he recorded the Berg concerto with an expressive warmth and purity of tone that suit the music as well as any violinist's I've heard play it.

[Chalkperson]

Lance, Kogan was a truly great violinist. Your program sounds wonderful, my friend. I look forward to it.
By the way, the English super budget label, Alto has three magnificent CDs of his son Pavel conducting the Moscow Philharmonic in the three Symphonies of Rachmaninov, plus the Symphonic Dances and the Isle of the Dead. The recordings (circa 1990) are first issues on CD and are so good, that his late, great dad would have been so proud of his son. Highly recommended.

I certainly agree with that, snap 'em up...

[otterhouse]

Finally, I am awake at 01.22 hs am So for the first time I can listen live to your program!
Greetings from the Netherlands,

Rolf

[Seán]

Finally, I am awake at 01.22 hs am So for the first time I can listen live to your program!
Greetings from the Netherlands,

Rolf

It's well worth loosing sleep to listen to our Lance. That said, I was lost in the Bach piece to be honest.

[Seán]

I enjoyed the Grieg but not the Bach, my fault, not JSB's I assure you.
Good night, it's 1 am here.

[val]

Listened last night 2 Mozart piano Trios and Tchaikovsky Trio opus 50 performed by Gilels, Kogan and Rostropovitch. They were very young at the time, but this interpretations are extraordinary, very natural and lyrical. The way Kogan phrases the sublime first motif of the first movement in Tchaikovsky's Trio is a moment of magical beauty.

[Lance]

Val, how would you compare the Kogan/Rostropovich/Gilels recorded performance to the newly-released one by Repin/Maisky/Lang Lang on DGG, artistically? And, I quite agree, those early chamber music recordings by K/R/G are quite extraordinary.

Listened last night 2 Mozart piano Trios and Tchaikovsky Trio opus 50 performed by Gilels, Kogan and Rostropovitch. They were very young at the time, but this interpretations are extraordinary, very natural and lyrical. The way Kogan phrases the sublime first motif of the first movement in Tchaikovsky's Trio is a moment of magical beauty.

[val]

I didn't listen yet the version of Repin and the others. I respect very much Repin: he has a very beautiful sound and an elegant style that reminds me of Grumiaux. His version of Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole is remarkable and would be better with a conductor with more presence and enthusiasm than Nagano.
I admit I never liked much Lang Lang.