Leonid Kogan - opinions?

[Len_Z]

I've recently purchased the 10-CD Leonid Kogan box set on Brilliant Classics, and as I slowly advance through it disc by disc, I start to realize that I've been neglecting this violinist practically all my life.

Even though I heard him live on several occasions when I was in my late teens and liked the performances, I have always thought him taking a back seat to Oistrakh, as far as Soviet violin masters went.

My love for Oistrakh style and musicality has survived many years and many turns and twists in my musical tastes: throughout all of them he's always been for me number one, with no one coming close. As much as I love Szeryng, Grumiaux, Kulenkampff and many other violinists who were wonderful in specific repertoires, none could equal D.O. for me as an overall musician. But right now I feel his supremacy being challenged - and quite seriously - for the first time.

I am especially moved by Kogan unique sound, his steely drive, his commitment to everything he performed, his ability to interpret without being obnoxiously exhibitionist about his personality.

So, I wonder what the esteemed members of this forum think of Leonid Kogan art and legacy. Very interested in positive as well as in negative impressions and in hearing about what you think his best and worst recordings are - with me being so taken with him right now, I have for the moment lost whatever little sense of critique I normally tend to have

Thanks in advance and Happy New Year once again to all !

[John F]

I've always thought Leonid Kogan a top-flight player, though not so many of his recordings were published in America. He didn't come here very often, certainly not as much as David Oistrakh who was much more famous internationally, and he died at 58.

When you speak of Kogan's "steely drive," that isn't quite how I hear him, but interestingly he was one of the few who used no gut strings at all but four steel strings. Didn't realize this until just now when I read it in the Wikipedia article. That may have to do with his tone being less warm in the lower register than Oistrakh's, though still beautiful in its own way.

Again unlike Oistrakh, Kogan apparently didn't have a close artistic relationship with any of the leading Russian composers of his time. I see the Brilliant Classics set includes a piece by Edison Denisov and, less to Kogan's credit, a concerto by Tikhon Khrennikov. However it does not include a Kogan recording I really like, of the Berg violin concerto with Rozhdestvensky conducting. I see this has been released on CD, twice, as well as a live performance from Hamburg with Vaclav Neumann. If you care about this music, Kogan plays it as beautifully as I've heard on records.

[Len_Z]

I see the Brilliant Classics set includes a piece by Edison Denisov and, less to Kogan's credit, a concerto by Tikhon Khrennikov. However it does not include a Kogan recording I really like, of the Berg violin concerto with Rozhdestvensky conducting. I see this has been released on CD, twice, as well as a live performance from Hamburg with Vaclav Neumann. If you care about this music, Kogan plays it as beautifully as I've heard on records.

Thank you, John! I love Berg Concerto and will definitely seek both recordings you mentioned.

I also wanted to say that I've just happened to listen twice to the Denisov Partita from this box set and it's absolutely phenomenal.

Also, I probably need to clarify that I never doubted Kogan's musical abilities. It's just that I sure didn't appreciate them enough as they probably were somewhat eclipsed by his very close relationship with the Soviet official party line. Oistrakh always had a semi-dissident aura about him, and Kogan, being the head of the Violin Dept. at Moscow Conservatoire and all, definitely represented the other side of the coin, so to speak (hence Khrennikov's Concerto by the way). Of course, none of this had anything to do with music and does not really matter to me now.

Thanks again for your response.

Best regards from NY.

[Chalkperson]

His Beethoven Violin Sonata disc with Emil Gilels is electrifying...

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Violin- ... B0002A2VT6

[living_stradivarius]

Kogan is top notch

[stenka razin]

Try the Khachaturian Violin Concerto on an RCA CD with Pierre Monteux and the Boston Symphony for a real blast. Absolutely astonishing performance by Kogan. He was a titan of the violin.

P.S. The Reiner/Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky is stupendous, too...


Regards,
Mel

[Len_Z]

Thanks, Mel, - ordered it from amazon.com right away.

[Len_Z]

His Beethoven Violin Sonata disc with Emil Gilels is electrifying...

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Violin- ... B0002A2VT6

Thanks! Will definitely buy this one.

[arthound]

One of my favourite artists. The Tchaikovsky concerto in that Brilliant set is wonderful. I am hoping that EMI release an ICON box set of his recordings.

[jserraglio]

Strictly by chance, I heard him live in Boston playing the Brahms VC. Hadn't a clue then as to who he was, but his playing bowled me over. I also recall his serious, almost forbidding onstage demeanor.

[hangos]

[quote="stenka razin"]Try the Khachaturian Violin Concerto on an RCA CD with Pierre Monteux and the Boston Symphony for a real blast. Absolutely astonishing performance by Kogan. He was a titan of the violin.

P.S. The Reiner/Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky is stupendous, too...

Regards,
Mel


True, it is - but not as stupendous as Temirkanov's recording of the full score!
Martin

[Guitarist]

I always get Leonid Kogan mixed up with Oleg Kagan! Between the two, I slightly prefer Kagan. His live recordings of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas made shortly before his death is just wonderful.

[Lance]

One of the best, Leonid Kogan. Sterling technique and tone. Had David Oistrakh not been on the scene, Kogan might have become number one in Russia. The Kogan recorded legacy is rich, delightfully enhanced by the Brilliant boxed set. He married Elizaveta Gilels, violinist sister of the great pianist Emil Gilels. Their son, Pavel, has also had an interesting conducting and violin career, though I think he's making it better as a conductor these days. I've got some 60 CDs of Kogan. Among the best afforded him in quality sound is the EMI product that was reissued by Testament [1223 to 1228 inclusive]. Interesting how the Oistrakh/Kogan careers kind of parallel that of the Heifetz/Milstein. Thankfully, because of recordings, we can know them all!

[John F]

I'd add to all this that Leonid Kogan was a member of one of the great all-star chamber music ensembles, the Gilels-Kogan-Rostropovich trio. I see their recordings have been collected in a 5-CD set by Doremi, whose contents are:

Beethoven: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in B major, op.97 “Archduke”
Beethoven: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in E major, WoO38
Mozart: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in B major, K.254
Mozart: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in G major, K.564
Haydn: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in D major, Hob.XV:16
Haydn: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in G major, Hob.XV:19
Tchaikovsky: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in A minor, op.50
Shostakovich: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in E minor, op.67
Saint-Saens: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in F major, op.18
Schumann: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in D minor, op.63
Borodin: Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in D major
Faure: Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello no.1, op.15
Brahms: Trio for Piano, Violin and Horn in D minor, op.40

I don't have all of these, and didn't know about the Saint-Saens and Fauré (with Rudolf Barshai) which an Amazon reviewer praises highly, or the Shostakovich which was recorded years later in London. One of these, the Borodin, is a ringer, as the string players are Dmitri Tziganov and Sergei Shirinsky of the Beethoven Quartet. This is one omnibus box I'm actually tempted to buy, even though I'll be duplicating much of its contents.