By DD114833
07-Mar-2011

What does it take to be a world famous composer?  

Now, really - how did the best known composers of all times get to be... well... best known? It's about genius, of course. But it's also about luck. Luck meaning everything with no effect whatsoever on the composer's output.

Tubin may very well fall in the "unlucky" category, since his music is way beyond the presumed level to make into the top. Even worse, things aren't probably going to change much.

However, for us lucky enough to have come across his music, Jaarvi's and Volmer's efforts are a true blessing. I admit I bought this album just because Jaarvi's recording of the 4th was a live one and I also wanted a studio recording. Did it fulfill my expectations? Up to a certain level, which is not the highest possible one. As always, I imagine a performance that would draw the best from all the recordings I hear.

Down to punctual matters, Volmer's 4th is OVERALL better than Jaarvi's. If you'd give me both recordings I wouldn't hesitate to play Volmer's, should I present it to someone not familiar with the work. It is obvious that Volmer understood the "Lyrical" and knew exactly what to ask for from the orchestra - you can literally feel the "breath" of the music. The strings are magnificent and the violin solo in the 3rd movement just made my day. Which, by the way, I cannot say about the similar flute solo that comes in the first part of the 3rd movement - here, the flute in Jaarvi's recording is far better. Another minus is brought by the brass in the finale - it's not what it should be, neither in Jaarvi's recording nor, unfortunately, in Volmer's.

It is absolutely outstanding how Tubin could write this music in the early '40s, with all the disaster of World War II around. Makes me think about Medtner 3rd Piano Concerto...

The 7th Symphony comes from a different world. Being a great fan of Rachmaninoff I can see the same effect of the exile in Tubin's music. It's such a pity that works like these are judged from the prism of the composer's previous works and not by their own intrinsic value. Yes, this music is more "astringent", "dry", "dark" and whatever you might want to call it - but it does speak for itself. However, be warned: if you didn't listen to much Tubin before, don't go straight to the 7th after listening to the 4th. The steepness of the transition might confuse your senses...

Bottom line, I highly recommend this album, both for "novices" AND for those familiar with Jaarvi's recordings of Tubin's works.
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