By my reckoning this
is American-born violinist Sarah Chang’s
eighteenth album for the EMI Classics
label; not bad going for a young person
in their early twenties. If I remember
correctly, Chang’s latest release in
2003 was the Dvorak Violin Concerto
with the LSO under Sir Colin Davis coupled
with a version of the Piano Quintet.
This time the prolific and talented
Ms. Chang has teamed up with German-born
pianist Lars Vogt, in a selection of
violin sonatas from the pens of three
composers that are French either by
birth or adoption. The two instrumentalists
are very much a team although to look
at the four photographs on this release
with the attractive violinist featured
on all of them and the pianist on only
two, it is clear that EMI are marketing
Ms. Chang as a ‘sexy violin babe’ rather
than Lars Vogt and the music. The author
of the booklet notes links the composers
of the three featured violin sonatas
with a character from Marcel Proust’s
novel À la recherche du temps
perdu. This all seems somewhat contrived
and the link rather tenuous. It would
have been preferable to have provided
more information on the works or three
featured composers.
The Violin Sonata by
Belgium born composer César Franck
is a war-horse of the chamber music
repertoire and remains for performers
a hard nut to crack. Composed as a wedding
present for his friend, fellow-countryman
and violin virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe,
the four movement Violin Sonata is an
epic work and is regarded by many as
the finest violin sonata in all French
music. Personally I would go so far
as to say that the work has worthy claims
to be the finest violin sonata ever
written; certainly in the Romantic repertoire.
Yes, Franck was a Belgian by birth although
he is usually referred to as French
owing to the amount of time he lived
there. Without checking, there is every
chance that the sonata was composed
in France.
Franck’s Violin Sonata
is a work that runs the range of emotions
from unbridled passion to sublime serenity
and successfully employs cyclical treatment
of themes. The violin soars over the
piano part with the most uplifting of
melodies. The complex and delightful
echoing finale, with the violin
and piano parts playing off each other,
is justly famous. In the first movement
Allegretto ben moderato I was
particularly impressed by the way Chang
and Vogt adroitly contrast the contemplative
mood with the required tension. There
is ravishing and characterful playing
from the duo in the second movement
Allegro with the substantial
indulgence and passion in the final
movement Allegretto poco mosso.
The playing from Chang and Vogt is warm
and romantic. This heart-on-sleeve approach,
with more use of vibrato than I am used
to, is one that may prove rather syrupy
for some palates.
The now famous recording
and magnificent and exhilarating account
of the Violin Sonata by violinist Kyung-Wha
Chung and pianist Radu Lupu on Decca
460 006-2 which is coupled with the
Debussy Violin Sonata and the Chausson
Poème remains my premier
recommendation.
Saint-Saëns wrote
his First Violin Sonata in 1885 whilst
at the height of his compositional powers
which was around the time of the Carnival
of the Animals suite and
the Symphony No. 3 ‘Organ’. By
the time of the First Violin Sonata
Saint-Saëns was a most experienced
composer for the violin having written
his three violin concertos as well as
the celebrated Introduction and Rondo
Capriccioso.
The responsive performances
from Chang and Vogt convey the composer’s
renowned clarity of texture and sureness
of technique in the opening Allegro
agitato and the duo are both exhilarating
and convincing in the brilliant Allegro
molto conclusion.
This splendid new recording
of the first Saint-Saëns Violin
Sonata from Chang and Vogt with its
increased sense of engagement and extra
tenderness is now my leading recommendation.
However I would not wish to be without
the version from the partnership of
Dong-Suk Kang and Pascal Devoyon from
1989 on Naxos 8.550276. This is generously
coupled with impressive versions of
the Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc violin
sonatas.
Composition of his
Violin Sonata occupied Ravel intermittently
for some five years. The sonata clearly
reflects the fashion of his day. In
particular it deploys Ravel’s ‘take’
on the ‘Blues’ throughout the second
movement as well as the occasional the
use of ‘Jazzy’ rhythms. Our performers
exhibit their considerable virtuosity
to excellent advantage with considerable
expression and panache throughout the
varying moods of this work.
Sarah Chang and Lars
Vogt offer fine performances of the
Ravel Violin Sonata but my first-choice
recommendation for their refined authority,
colour, innate sense of spontaneous
music-making and marvellous sound too
is the version from Renaud Capucon and
Franck Braley on Virgin Classics 5 4549
2. This all-Ravel disc is coupled with
excellent versions of the Piano Trio,
the Sonata for Violin and Cello and
the 1897 single movement student work
the Sonate Posthume for violin
and piano.
Gifted soloists Sarah
Chang and Lars Vogt prove themselves
first-rate chamber performers and can
be justly proud of this EMI Classics
recording. Aided by warm, bright and
clear recorded sound with a broad dynamic
range, the passionate and sumptuously
Romantic approach of the duo is very
much in keeping with these works. They
come across splendidly, if this style
of interpretation is to your taste.
A first-class and highly enjoyable recording.
Michael Cookson
Sarah Chang (violin) 