The danger in using the word "schmaltz" is that it comes with a certain pejorative tone which implies that one listener by preferring a version allegedly without "schmaltz" is somehow more nuanced and sophisticated than the other. Do we know that DSCH didn't want schmaltz there?
But all that said, in my review I made no special case for Mordkovitch - it was one of several recordings including Oistrakh - that I referenced and indeed it is still well regarded whatever Dieter may feel to the contrary
By the way - I like much of Neville Marriner's work too.....
I've been playing the First Concerto all morning. The two Kogan performances sound 'right' to me, compromised by the live sound. The Masur recording is too schmaltzy for my taste. I have come back to the Sitkovetsky/ Davis recording which came out at the same time as the Mordkovitch. This is infinitely more affecting and moving than the bloated woe is me Mordkovich. I did try to relisten to her recording this morning, found the conducting a real let down, everything is glib and I simply could not get through to the end of the Passacaglia. Yesterday I played Mullova/Previn. That is a stunning interpretation as well. The Tetzlaff recording is sensational, but once again, the Passacaglia is too schmaltzy.
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