Pablo SARASATE (1844-1908)
Fantasy on Bizet’s Carmen, Op 25 [13:49]
Concert Fantasy on Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Op 5 [12:04]
Canciones rusas, Op 49 [8:47]
El canto del ruiseñor, Op 29 [8:43]
La chasse, Op 44 [8:55]
Jota de Pablo, Op 52 [6:04]
Tianwa Yang (violin)
Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra/Ernest Martínez Izquierdo
rec. 2 July 2009 (Gounod fantasy), 1-2 November 2009 (Carmen fantasy), 3-6
November 2008 (all others), Concert Hall of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra,
Pamplona, Spain
NAXOS 8.572216 [58:19]
Tianwa Yang is an uncommonly brilliant young violinist. With a little luck,
she will be producing dazzling recordings for us for decades to come. She
slipped onto the scene in 2006, edging away from the spotlight occupied by
such prominent young ladies as Hilary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Janine Jensen,
and Sarah Chang. Tianwa Yang’s deficit of fame is partly because she is in
fact younger than all of those stars - having been born in 1987 - and partly
because she joined the Naxos record label for a series of the complete works
of Pablo de Sarasate rather than recording the usual Tchaikovsky, Sibelius
and Brahms for a more glamorous label.
Those who have been listening have been impressed. When Yang’s first Sarasate
volume arrived in 2006, it was remarkable it introduced us to a teenage prodigy
who had not only the outlandish technical wizardry which teenage prodigies
often have, but also a hugely romantic sensibility. To create the formula
for Tianwa Yang, one takes the average youthful virtuoso and adds a generous
dash of passion. Right from the first phrase of the “Malagueña” (Op 21 No
1), so sultry and so soulful, I knew I was hearing something special.
That “something special” has now brought us her fourth Sarasate disc: there
have been two recitals with pianist Markus Hadulla (vol.
1), and now two orchestral discs with the ensemble Sarasate himself founded
in Pamplona. This new volume, recorded when Yang was 21 and 22, opens with
the legendary Carmen Fantasy, a ravishing cocktail of Georges Bizet’s
glorious tunes, Sarasate’s showy virtuosity, and the romantic passion of a
trio of Spanish lovers. The Carmen Fantasy is overtly designed to be
an unceasing string of “wow!” moments, but even jaded listeners will find
a few. Consider the discreet portamenti in the opening tune, for instance
(and harmonic portamenti at 2:28), the seductive way Yang phrases the theme
at the end of this movement (2:38), the relaxed pizzicato plucks at the beginning
of the seguidilla, or the almost inhuman playing at the very end.
The Gounod Romeo and Juliet fantasy really engaged me in parts, but
left me waiting for the next “section” to commence at other times, mostly
Sarasate’s own fault. La chasse, on the other hand, is a thrill ride,
with uncommonly assertive orchestral accompaniment but an electric part for
Tianwa Yang to play. After the tender, even vulnerable playing she delivers
in the introduction, she introduces the big tune to us at 2:09 with a forceful
joy that is utterly irresistible. And, near the end of the piece, the cellos
are entrusted with an unusually (for Sarasate) sensitive melody, which the
soloist discreetly accompanies. Jota de Pablo is a terrific finale,
Sarasate at his beguiling Spanish best, and has the daring required to end
quietly.
Not all of this music is fascinating: the Chansons ruses, for instance,
are only intermittently engaging, and only somewhat Russian, and El Canto
del Ruiseñor takes about three minutes to get over some dull opening material
and introduce its alluringly Spanish main theme.
All throughout, Yang seduces, teases, serenades, and sings with her unique
sound. How to describe the Yang sound? It’s more aggressive than most in attacking
the violin’s lowest notes, which have a full but slightly rough sound that
can only be described (in Sarasate, at least) as sexy. It has an almost unreal
facility for harmonics, pizzicati, and double stops so well blended together
that they don’t sound like double stops at all. It has a genius for occasional
notes which are just murmured, to catch our ears and pull them in closer.
It’s got big legato phrases that seem to explode across the concert hall in
their brilliance. It demands to be heard.
The Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra has seen over a century of action since
it was founded by Pablo de Sarasate, so the historical connection is a bit
of a trivia game. It’s a good orchestra, but by no means great; luckily, though,
this music is all about the soloist. Ernest Martínez Izquierdo is a sensitive
accompanist who makes sure Tianwa Yang is given an engaging partner. The sound
balance favors the soloist but at no loss to either orchestra or audience,
except at the end of the Carmen fantasy, when Yang’s violin is nearly
louder than the entire Navarre band. The excellent notes are by Joseph Gold,
a virtuoso violinist and Sarasate expert himself.
Like all the volumes in the series, this one combines Sarasate’s justifiably
famous, unjustifiably forgotten, and merely pedestrian works. But the latter
have rarely had a more passionate, more brilliant advocate than Tianwa Yang,
and even items like the Carmen Fantasy do not get treated with this
much bravado and romantic sweep by just anybody. It occurred to me while listening
to this CD that what we have here is a 23-year-old virtuoso whose closest
neighbors, in terms of style, are “golden age” violinists from the days of
lush vibrato, unabashed romantic ardor, and crackly monaural sound. No surprise,
then, that in a recent interview Tianwa Yang said that the biggest influences
on her style are “Michael Rabin … Joseph Szigeti and Adolf Busch,” especially
Busch, whose “playing had a really formative influence on me”. Here, born
eighty years too late, is a violinist ready to revive a long-gone sensibility.
Sarasate is fortunate to have her, and so are we.
Brian Reinhart
All young prodigies are madly virtuosic, but Tianwa Yang is also madly in
love with the music.