Romanian-born violinist
Silvia Marcovici is heralded by some as the most significant violinist to come out of Romania since
George Enescu and one of the most accomplished female violinists in general. Her playing style exudes confidence and gusto. Her repertoire, appropriately enough, tends to favor the Romantic and early twentieth century concertos that match her vigorous, almost aggressive playing. This Doremi set includes performances of seven such concertos on two CDs and one DVD. All taken from live performances, sound quality is somewhat inconsistent throughout the set, particularly with the monaural sound of the DVD performances. The video quality on the DVD is extremely poor, typically appearing as if someone in the audience with a camcorder was responsible for taping. With the exception of the Bucharest George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra (who appears twice on the DVD), each concerto is performed with a different orchestra, most of which are mediocre at best.
Marcovici's playing, however, is quite consistent throughout. Whether playing Beethoven, Brahms, or
Bartók,
Marcovici digs deep into her strings, producing an abundance of powerful sound. Intonation is far from flawless, but errors in this department can usually be forgiven considering the exciting risks she continually takes in her playing. All of this energy and excitement can wear a little thin, though, and some of the more serene middle movements feel forced and impetuous.