Rochberg began as something of a twelve- tone hard-liner, but he has been using collage as an element in his music for more than a decade. Now he has gone way beyond col- lage. His violin concerto is, in fact, about as far removed from art -about -art as you can get. It is at least as tragic as the Penderecki- and twice as schmaltzy. Both these works are "romantic" with a small "r," more closely related to the old modern classics-the violin concertos of Prokofiev, Berg, and Bartok- than to the nineteenth century. But in any case they are just right for Stern, who makes a powerful impression with them, the Roch- berg especially. This piece stirs up audiences who are obviously anxious to welcome the black sheep back from the avant-garde fold. Musical politics aside, it is a very well con- ceived and perfectly executed piece of musi- cal rhetoric and sentiment. As for the other recordings in the batch, by far the best is the Tchaikovsky. Only some- one who has played this piece as many times as Stern has could wear it so comfortably, taking all the possible liberties and still con- vincing us that it all means something. Mstis- lav Rostropovich is an ideal collaborator as conductor, and the album is enhanced by the inclusion of the Meditation (as orchestrated by Glazounov) that was Tchaikovsky's origi- nal slow movement for the concerto but was later published as a separate work. Ilike Stern's impassioned reading of the Columbia Masterworks Brahms concerto too, but in this case the orchestral contribution (Zubin Mehta con- ducting) is a bit too noble and dull. It is odd, though often effective, to hear Stern poking dramatic little solo -violin holes through the `Festival: cIsaac Stern rather strait-laced orchestral texture. Soloist and conductor are better matched on the Mozart disc. If you care for a strong, notveryeighteenth -century Mozart, you FROM Jascha to Itzhak (or Pinchas), there's Penderecki made his reputation with a se- might like these readings. Stern's versatility is no one like Isaac. Isaac Stern is alone in ries of large orchestral and orchestral -choral not boundless, certainly, but it is remarkable his generation, the only remaining link be- works built on huge sonority blocks-clus- enough. Between the generalists and the pur- tween the old Odessa school of violinists and ters, glissandos, instrumental textures, and so ists always come down on the side of the the young Israelis. And Stern's music -mak- forth-all set out in a very dramatic, intense generalists, and Isaac Stern is unquestionably ing, like his ebullient public personality, is context. I don't think it is quite correct to say, one of the finest of that breed. -Eric Salzman big, wide-ranging, generously encompassing. as the album annotator here does, that the As if to illustrate this, Columbia has just re- hallmarks of Penderecki's early style have PENDERECKI: Violin Concerto. Isaac Stern leased an astonishing group of records in "all but disappeared from such works as the (violin);MinnesotaOrchestra,Stanislaw which he plays violin concertos from three concerto." I find lots of holdovers, including Skrowaczewski cond. COLUMBIA M 35150 centuries-including two controversial con- the stark, heavily dramatic, anguished tone $7.98. temporary works-in collaboration with no that has been so characteristic of this compos- ROCHBERG: Violin Concerto. Isaac Stern fewer than five leading orchestras under five er. In fact, casual listeners will hardly under- (violin);Pittsburgh SymphonyOrchestra, top conductors! stand what the "neo-Romantic" fuss is about; Andre Previn cond. COLUMBIA M 35149 Of greatest interest are the two new works, to traditionally oriented ears this work will $7.98. for it is rare for a major artist known for tradi- seem quite modern enough. Looked at in tional repertoire to record contemporary mu- another way, though, Penderecki's work has TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in D Major, sic with a major label, especially when it is of always had a certain grandly romantic Angst. Op. 35; Meditation, Op. 42, No. 1. Isaac Stern such recent vintage: 1974 for George Roch- One crucial change cannot be overlooked. (violin); National SymphonyOrchestra, berg's concerto,1976 for Krzysztof Pen- Penderecki's earlier work, however dramatic, Mstislav Rostropovich cond. COLUMBIA M derecki's. But there is still more to the story is in effect minimalist, nondevelopmental. But 35126 $7.98, © MT 35126 $7.98. than that. Both Penderecki and Rochberg his violin concerto, like a good Romantic BRAHMS: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. have fearsome reputations as avant-garde composition, tells a story-and a terribly trag- 77. Isaac Stern (violin); New York Philhar- composers, but they are now regarded as de- ic tale it is, too. Why is it that "high," "seri- monic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta cond. Co- fectors from the avant-garde (perhaps the ous" art is so often anguished and tragic? A LUMBLA M 35146 $7.98, © MT 35146 $7.98. principal defectors)-in great part because of great deal of modern art is in this respect de- these concertos, both of which were intro- scendeddirectly from Romanticism. ForMOZART: Violin Concerto No. 2, in D Major duced by Stern. Is there a neo-Romantic re- composers like Penderecki and Rochberg, (K. 211); Violin Concerto No. 4, in D Major vival under way? These are the pieces that whose roots are really in the Central Europe- (K. 218). Isaac Stern (violin); English Cham- have prompted some critics to declare that an tradition, the move to a kind of romanti- ber Orchestra, Alexander Schneider cond. there is, and they are indeed full of big, tradi- cism is not such a great leap backward as itCOLUMBIA M 35111$7.98, © MT 35111 tional elements. might at first appear. $7.98.

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