20th-Century Violin Concertos The double CD 20th-Century Violin Concertos reissues recordings made in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I am grateful for this, as too many good recordings are difficult to find once out of print and the performances on these CDs are thoroughly worthy of the increased exposure brought by this new compilation. The first CD contains Szymanowski’s Concerto for Orchestra No.1 and Bartok’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. Both are performed by the Xiao-Dong Wang with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The second CD presents the Dene Olding with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra playing violin concertos by Martin, Milhaud and Barber. Syzmanowski’s luminously colourful concerto is a wonderful way to open the CD. Wang’s playing is thoroughly virtuosic; his sound is bright and edgy which is perfect for this piece. The orchestra play confidently, though the recording makes it difficult to hear some individual lines. Mostly this is no concern, for the larger gestures are clearly formed. In contrast, the solo violin is, at times, too present. There are moments when I want the orchestra to overwhelm the soloist but even when the violin is at its quietest it is still audible above the orchestra. The post-production boost given to the soloist is unnecessary for Szymanowski’s orchestration, which ensures that the violin and orchestra rarely occupy the same registeral space, means that the violin will naturally stand against the accompaniment. The pacing of this piece is a highlight, and the conductor’s choice of tempi ensure that the large scale contrasts sit securely. Small scale shaping of phrases is less precise and too inflexible, to the detriment of some of the more exaggerated gestures. This is due partly to the very large orchestra which naturally exhibits torpor over spontaneity. However, the ending is profound in its carefully crafted lightness. The balance between orchestra and violin is better in the Bartok, though Wang’s sound suits the piece less. This is particularly noticeable in the second movement where it would benefit from being less uniform in tone. However, the liveliness of the third movement is performed by violinist and orchestra equally brilliantly. None of the inertia present in the Szymanowski is present here. Frank Martin’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra begins the second CD. The performances are of even higher calibre than on the previous disc; the interplay between Dene Olding and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is dynamic. Their close engagement results in long, directed phrases. Olding adjusts his sound from moment to moment producing a far more dramatic performance than Wang. Despite the title suggesting that this piece is as much a concerto for the orchestra as for the violin, the orchestra’s role here is chiefly supportive. Throughout the piece the ensemble’s strong, focused sound and clear, precise, articulations (especially in the third movement) accommodate the violin’s virtuosic flourishes. The programme note states that this is the first recording of the piece to appear on CD, a fact which is surprising considering the quality. It is a far more likeable work than Barber’s identically titled composition which ends the disc. Hopefully many more of Oldings recordings will be re-released in the near future. © Michael Hooper |
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michael at hoopermusic dot com |