Romantic Violin

This well recorded disc from 1998,so conveniently couples these three concertos that one wonders why such an obvious coupling has not been regularly made before. It is true that the concertos are not the equal of many of the greatest but nevertheless they remain rewarding in their own right. As Berlioz famously remarked, the young Saint Saens 'knows everything, but lacks inexperience.'

Violinist and composer Joseph Joachim was a central figure of Romanticism, famous as a personal friend of Johannes Brahms and as an arbiter of musical taste who was professionally associated with many of the 19th century's greatest musicians. Daniel Hope's The Romantic Violinist: A Celebration of Joseph Joachim paints an appealing portrait through selections of Joachim's own music, as well as short pieces by Brahms, Clara Schumann, Antonin Dvorák, Franz Schubert, and the Violin Concerto No. 1 by Max Bruch.

Édouard Lalo - Concertante Works for Violin, Cello and Piano - Liège Royal Philharmonic (2016) {3CD Set Alpha 233}
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© 2016 Alpha / Outhere Music | Alpha 233
Classical / Concerto / Romantic / Violin / Cello / Piano / Philharmonic

Édouard Lalo made his mark on French music with his opera Le Roi d’Ys, but his instrumental output also has considerable historical importance, with its resolutely innovative aims for its time. More specifically, his concertante music rewards the attentive ear with a brilliant, skilfully constructed style, studded with fresh rhythmic and harmonic inventions that renew the melodic and orchestral language of the genre.

With the best will in the world, anyone listening to a disc entitled Bravo! Virtuoso Romantic Encores for Violin is all too likely to succumb to terminal ennui. After all, the ephemeral thrills of encores are not supposed to last an hour, and unless the performer is a very great artist, the listener may die of boredom long before the disc ends. Violinist Nikolai Znaider is nearly a very great artist. He has a graceful tone, an elegant technique, and a virtuoso's temperament. His performances are truly virtuoso and his interpretations truly romantic, but with the best will in the world, anyone listening will still succumb to terminal ennui halfway through the disc.