MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2023
Approaching 60,000 reviews
and more.. and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


CD REVIEW

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

alternatively
CD: AmazonUK AmazonUS
Download: Classicsonline


Erno von DohnÁnyi (1877-1960)
Violin Concerto No.1 in D Minor Op. 27 (1915) [40:41]
Violin Concerto No. 2 in C Minor Op. 43 (1949) [30:43]
Michael Ludwig (violin)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra/JoAnn Falletta
rec. Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, 20-21 August 2007. DDD
NAXOS 8.570833 [71:24]

 

Experience Classicsonline


On the surface these look like concertos with a lot of similarities. They are both lengthy - especially the first - and in the four movements associated with a symphony. One is a product of the last years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the other of the composer’s refugee status in
Tallahassee, Florida. The same personality is in evidence, but a lot has changed. 

The First Concerto imitates the four movement pattern of the Brahms second piano concerto, although comparisons between the two composers are frequently overdone. Its slightly mysterious opening ably utilizes the mysterious capabilities of the D-minor key. Michael Ludwig is sterling in the opening cadenza and his backed up by an excellent recording. The inventive development section that follows is notable as is the woodwind writing. The second movement is the highlight of the work with a lovely opening theme that leads to a passionate central section, all of it imaginatively scored. The third movement gives the orchestra a chance to show off, although the soloist is not left unoccupied, in a movement featuring a lot of staccato playing. The last movement begins with material from the opening of the concerto. This features some of Ludwig’s best playing. He is also excellent in the exposition of the new movement’s primary theme, which is then put through a series of variations. Finally the opening movement material returns for even more lovely development and a virtuoso finale. 

It’s a long way from Budapest to Tallahassee and the Second Concerto is a darker work than the first, in spite of its tonality. It begins with an affecting cadenza, gentler than the one that begins the first concerto. This ushers in a beautiful main theme, but both these sections go through some darker developments, ending with a somewhat sad recapitulation. The second movement is the fast one in this concerto. It is in the form of an intermezzo that can only be described as rollicking alternating with charming. It provides great opportunities for the violinist. The slow movement is the crown of the work and of the disc. The stately and somber opening incorporates material from the first movement and contains the emotions of a lifetime. This is followed by a cadenza, but this one a song of isolation, followed by a tortured ending. The giocoso last movement follows without a break. I found it a little jarring after the adagio, although fine in itself. 

These concertos have been recorded before but still deserve to be better known than they are; both can be rated outstanding. In terms of his performance Michael Ludwig hits all the required emotional stops as well as showing almost unremitting virtuosity in two long and very difficult works. JoAnn Falletta follows him all the way and demonstrates again that she is at home in any repertoire. She also elicits fine playing from the Royal Scottish national orchestra, indeed better even than their usual high standard. I have heard several recordings made in the Henry Wood Hall recently and this one has only confirmed my positive impression of this hall as a recording venue. Music that it is essential to obtain on whatever disc you get it.

William Kreindler

see also Review by Kevin Sutton


 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 


EXPLORE MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

Making a Donation to MusicWeb

Writing CD reviews for MWI

About MWI
Who we are, where we have come from and how we do it.

Site Map

How to find a review

How to find articles on MusicWeb
Listed in date order

Review Indexes
   By Label
      Select a label and all reviews are listed in Catalogue order
   By Masterwork
            Links from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to the review indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Themed Review pages

Jazz reviews

 

Discographies
   Composer
      Composer surveys
   National
      Unique to MusicWeb -
a comprehensive listing of all LP and CD recordings of given works
.
Prepared by Michael Herman

The Collector’s Guide to Gramophone Company Record Labels 1898 - 1925
Howard Friedman

Book Reviews

Complete Books
We have a number of out of print complete books on-line

Interviews
With Composers, Conductors, Singers, Instumentalists and others
Includes those on the Seen and Heard site

Nostalgia

Nostalgia CD reviews

Records Of The Year
Each reviewer is given the opportunity to select the best of the releases

Monthly Best Buys
Recordings of the Month and Bargains of the Month

Comment
Arthur Butterworth Writes

An occasional column

Phil Scowcroft's Garlands
British Light Music articles

Classical blogs
A listing of Classical Music Blogs external to MusicWeb International

Reviewers Logs
What they have been listening to for pleasure

Announcements

 

Community
Bulletin Board

Give your opinions or seek answers

Reviewers
Past and present

Helpers invited!

Resources
How Did I Miss That?

Currently suspended but there are a lot there with sound clips


Composer Resources

British Composers

British Light Music Composers

Other composers

Film Music (Archive)
Film Music on the Web (Closed in December 2006)

Programme Notes
For concert organizers

External sites
British Music Society
The BBC Proms
Orchestra Sites
Recording Companies & Retailers
Online Music
Agents & Marketing
Publishers
Other links
Newsgroups
Web News sites etc

PotPourri
A pot-pourri of articles

MW Listening Room
MW Office

Advice to Windows Vista users  
Questionnaire    
Site History  
What they say about us
What we say about us!
Where to get help on the Internet
CD orders By Special Request
Graphics archive
Currency Converter
Dictionary
Magazines
Newsfeed  
Web Ring
Translation Service

Rules for potential reviewers :-)
Do Not Go Here!
April Fools




Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.