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Europa Leoš JANÁČEK (1854–1928)
Violin Sonata (1914/1922) [17:20] Karol SZYMANOWSKI (1882–1937) Mythes, op.30 (1915) [20:45] Georges ENESCO (1881–1955)
Violin Sonata No.3 in A, dans le caractčre populaire
roumain, op.25 (1926) [24:18] Béla BARTÓK (1881–1945)
First Rhapsody (1928) [10:20]
David
Grimal (violin); Georges Pludermacher (piano)
rec. January 2008, Sion, Switzerland. DDD NAĎVE AMBROISIE AM163 [72:49]
Now
here’s a disk worthy of our attention – four major 20th century
works for violin and piano, all written within fifteen
years of each other by four very different composers, and
each displaying contrasting ideas of construction and thought.
If
ever there was a maverick, a true wild card, in early 20th century
music Leoš Janáček must
stand head and shoulders above the rest. Writing music
which seems totally inspirational, without regard for form
he juxtaposed radically conflicting material yet moulded
it all into a satisfying whole. The works he conceived
after about 1910 rank amongst the greatest the musical
world has seen, and heard. The Violin Sonata heard
on this disk is no exception to this rule. In four quite
fantastic, in the phantasmagorical sense, movements this
work is an emotion-driven ride which, once it’s got hold
of you, never lets go. Grimal plays it well, but misses
the wild abandon of the piece. He simply fails to let his
hair down, and thus it’s a bit too polite.
No
such problems with his performance of the three Szymanowski Mythes.
Written at the same time as the 3rd Symphony and
the magisterial 1st Violin Concerto,
the work is full of erotic sensuality and the mysticism
derived from Scriabin which he was still employing. It
wouldn’t be long before Szymanowski turned to folk and
traditional sources and his style changed radically. This
rich, late romantic, music suits Grimal to the ground and
he is very happy, and comfortable, with the spiritual charge
of the work. The wide-ranging solo line is imbued with
a strength and power, but it is never overdone, and the
delicacy of much of the music is well realised.
Enesco’s 3rd Sonata, in
the popular Roumanian style, seems to enshrine the
soul of some long gone peasant fiddler. We have been
spoiled by the fact that Enesco himself made a fine recording
of this work - with Cécily Chailley-Richez, in Paris
in 1949. Everyone has to stand beside that interpretation,
which really is something very special. Being the superb
violinist that he was Enesco the performer can give Enesco
the composer that extra insight into the heart of the
music. He also brings to his performance an improvisatory
feel such as might have happened when the old fiddler
was playing and extemporizing his music by the flickering
light of the camp fire. That Grimal gets nowhere near
the inspirational, improvisational or folk fiddler feel
necessary for this work is no reflection on him. This
is as fine a performance as you could want – expertly
played and interpreted – but what Enesco so obviously
wanted, as he displays in his recording, seems elusive
to every violinist I have ever heard playing this work.
That includes Yehudi Menuhin on EMI and Sophie Langdon
live in the Wigmore Hall some 20 years ago – two of the
best in my experience so far.
Bartók’s First Rhapsody is much more stylized folk
fiddling and Grimal gives it all he’s got. This makes a
joyous finish to an interesting disk filled with superb
fiddling, and fabulous keyboard dexterity from Pludermacher – a
name I haven’t heard for some time. On the strength of
his playing here I wonder why. Despite my comments concerning
Enesco’s works, which are not meant as criticisms, this
is a disk well worth having for it is a marvellous exposition
of these pieces, which we seldom hear in the concert hall.
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