This, the second disc featuring Latvian
violinist Baiba Skride to have come
my way demonstrates her commitment to
concertos on record. Both discs feature
the same violin, the "Huggins"
Stradivarius dating from 1708. Both
were recorded in the same Berlin studio.
A recap of her qualities
in solo violin works should give some
idea of what to expect here ( review)
The immediacy of the
Mozart concerto’s opening movement makes
you aware of an orchestra that has true
chamber proportions yet does not suffer
from a lack of presence. For a variety
of reasons, but foremost due to a certain
similarity of approach, I listened to
this recording alongside that of Pamela
Frank and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich
under David Zinman (Arte Nova 74321
72104 2). In the playoff of orchestral
body and tone this new Sony recording
comes out a clear front-runner. Not
only are they more warmly recorded and
also have a slightly richer sound overall,
the bass line is just that more noticeable,
giving a bit of extra punch to the rhythms.
Where Zinman is happy
to deliver a fleet-footed performance
that is pared down to the basics, Haenchen’s
approach though similar does not take
things quite so quickly. This extra
space for the music to breathe and establish
itself is beneficial to the work as
a whole. So too is the presence of the
woodwinds and brass – helping in large
measure to form an integrated orchestral
sound as a dialogue partner for Skride’s
solo line.
So what of Skride’s
playing? Well, it is marked by precision,
and although not being as forwardly
recorded as in her debut album, she
does stand out well against the orchestra.
Much of her playing has an entirely
natural flow to it, with fluctuations
of dynamics registering but not really
seeming overly self-consciously produced.
Placed against Pamela Frank’s reading
one is immediately aware of how much
harder Frank’s tone is – something that
in the end works against the spirit
of the music. Another area of difference
is the cadenzas: Frank plays ones written
by Zinman that seem a little over-long
for my taste, Skride’s offering being
more natural and more subtly phrased
into the bargain.
There is here a sweetness
of tone, often given at a shaded pianissimo,
and a sense of singing line. There are
notable contributions from the flutes,
bringing an appropriate sense of reflection.
The closing Rondeau: Allegro
is an altogether sprightlier affair,
as one would hope, giving Skride the
opportunity to deliver variations in
tonal colouring to make this the most
remarkable of the concerto’s three movements.
In keeping with the
rondo form and major key a neat link
is formed to the second Mozart work
which is delivered in much the same
style as the concerto. However, with
a greater lightness of touch and transparency
in the orchestration Skride’s solo line
is if anything more prominent in this
rondo.
The symmetry of the
disc is preserved with a further rondo
and another concerto. Guido Fischer
in his accompanying note calls Mozart,
Schubert and Michael Haydn key exponents
of "the Austrian violin axis".
Schubert’s contribution is forward looking
anticipating the character of his future
works. In their playing the Kammerorchester
C.P.E.Bach show subtle differences in
style and articulation from the Mozart
works. Skride too allows the work a
touch less opulence in tone, though
she maintains a clearly articulated
singing line that is always sensitively
played.
It’s comparatively
rare these days that a concerto by Michael
Haydn (the younger brother of Joseph)
is recorded. Known as the ‘Salzburg
Haydn’, Michael took over the position
of Salzburg cathedral organist from
Mozart in 1781. Based largely on Baroque
models the concerto at times points
directly towards Mozart’s third concerto,
penned some fifteen years later. Outward
simplicity of form and structure contains
notable technical challenges, particularly
for the soloist, in the triplet runs
of both the opening Allegro moderato
and the closing Allegro molto. Skride
copes well with the challenges, and
succeeds in large measure in keeping
the listener’s concentration on the
music rather than the difficulty of
the task she meets head on. The middle
Adagio lends the concerto a much
needed intimacy, which is impressively
put across.
This is on the whole
an impressive concerto debut disc. True,
Skride might not have the personal tonal
stamp of violinists from yesteryear,
but what she does have is a sense of
style allied to a modern attitude and
approach to these most Austrian of works.
I can think of many today that don’t
have that. With a second concerto disc
(Shostakovich 1st and Janáček)
already released in Germany, Sony would
do well release internationally soon.
Reportedly she takes a dim view of the
crossover market. Looks as if we might
have a serious artist on our hands.
The first two discs certainly make it
seem so.
Evan Dickerson
Baiba Skride (violin) 
