Paris-born Laurent
Korcia, who recently turned forty, has
been around for some time, making records
for several companies, among them, in
recent times, BMG/RCA.
The present disc is
a compilation of excerpts from two recital
discs coupled with fellow Frenchman,
Nicolas Bacri’s Une Prière
(A Prayer) for violin and orchestra.
This was written 1995–97 and premiered
in 1999 at Arles by viola player Gérard
Caussé. It exists also in a version
for violoncello and – as here – violin.
Korcia recorded it in 2002 and it was
released on a CD single, reviewed
as recently as last autumn by Rob Barnett.
I advise readers to look it up, since
Rob gives a very fine analysis of the
work. One important reference is to
Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs,
and the basic atmosphere is similar,
but while Gorecki’s composition is more
or less cast in one long arch, Bacri’s,
although running continuously for circa
22 minutes, is divided in eight clearly
discernible contrasting sections. The
tragedy of the Jewish people and the
sorrow is just as tangible in both compositions,
but Bacri has more dramatic outbursts,
is more defiant, Gorecki is more resigned.
Towards the end of Une Prière,
in the first scherzo (tr. 5) the timpani
is very aggressive, before, after a
long pause, the lower strings introduce
the trio (tr. 6) where the soloist weaves
a beautiful melody, starting in the
lowest register until towards the end
of the movement he gradually rises like
a Phoenix out of the ashes. Then there
is a last outburst of violence in the
very short second scherzo (tr 7) before
we reach the concluding Andante sognando,
which brings a kind of reconciliation.
An utterly moving work it is and it
became even more significant since I
listened to it on the very day when
the monument to the victims of the Holocaust
was inaugurated in Berlin. I visited
Berlin a little over a year ago and
saw the monument when it was still under
construction. Bacri’s composition should
be heard by everyone with the slightest
interest in contemporary music – with
a message. The performance is first
class and Korcia’s Stradivarius of 1719
soars admirably above and around the
orchestral texture. Just for the record
it should be noted that on February
2 another composition with Jewish motifs
by Nicolas Bacri, his Sonata No. 3 for
solo violin op 76 (Kol Nidrei) was premiered
in Le Havre by Laurent Korcia.
The title of the disc
is Songes (Dreams) and that implies
slow, soft music for meditation and
relaxation. Well, that is not even half
true. There is very little of popular
or sentimental fiddling here, but since
there are no full-scale compositions,
apart from the Bacri Prayer, it is something
of a mixed bag, anyway. The Bloch Nigun,
another piece with Hebrew background,
is deeply atmospheric and sits well
as a counterpart to Bacri. Janáček’s
Ballade is of course wonderful
music and since the playing time for
the disc would allow it, I would have
liked the whole sonata to be included.
The two Bartók pieces whizz by
in no time at all, but Korcia demonstrates
his ability to play flageolets very
convincingly. The French pieces are
all very fine and none is over-represented
on disc, so they are welcome inclusions.
Ysaye’s Rêve d’enfant is
dreamy and has a beautiful melody and
in Fauré’s Andante the
ebb and flow of the music is well caught.
Chaminade hasn’t had much of a reputation
until quite recently, being labelled
"a second-rate female composer
of salon music", but this Spanish
serenade is very attractive in Kreisler’s
arrangement. I have a recording of it
by Nils-Erik Sparf on an all-Chaminade
disc from DG with von Otter, Bengt Forsberg
et al and Korcia at a slightly slower
tempo is just as apt.
Laurent Korcia is an
excellent violinist, his two pianists
never let him down, sound quality is
top-drawer. The disc comes in one of
these four-fold cardboard boxes with
texts only in French, but since it is
mostly promotional you can live without
it. Read Rob’s review and buy the disc.
You won’t regret it.
Göran Forsling
see also review
by Jonathan Woolf
Laurent Korcia (violin), West German Radio Symphony
Orchestra, Cologne/Semyon Bychkov (Bacri);
Georges Pludermacher (piano)(Bloch, Janáček,
Bartók); Jean-Marc Luisada (piano)(Ysaye, Fauré,
Chausson, Chaminade, Debussy) 
