Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61 [44:34]
Erich KORNGOLD (1897-1957)
Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 [26:06]
Renaud Capuçon (violin)
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin
rec. Muziekcentrum van de Omroep, Hilversum, Netherlands, July 2009
VIRGIN CLASSICS 694589 0 [70:45]
For different reasons both Capuçon and Nézet-Séguin are
currently men of the moment. This well-played disc shows off their extrovert
musical intelligence very well, though the Korngold is notably more successful
than the Beethoven.
Korngold seems to be everywhere these days, with a few successful recordings
of his concerto having appeared within the last few months. This is worthy
to set alongside them. Capuçon’s livewire exuberance is well suited
to the heart-on-sleeve character of the work. He hurls himself with abandon
into the surging main theme of the first movement, revelling in the overt sentimentalism.
He is buoyed up by the accompaniment of the orchestra, the textures coloured
by the composer’s use of the celesta and subtle percussion. The high
jinx of the finale are right up Capuçon’s street and his development,
if it can be called that, of the main theme lightens the mood and carries the
work to a wonderfully irreverent final cadence. The slow movement is perhaps
the highlight of the disc, a blissfully rhapsodic journey through another world
with the violin accompanied by the ethereal glow of the shimmering orchestra.
Next to this Capuçon’s Beethoven is more four-square and predictable,
but I still found it enjoyable. Nézet-Séguin’s chief concern
here is an unfailing smoothness which, in some respects, makes Beethoven’s
music seem more comfortable than it really is. This works well for the serenity
of, say, the Larghetto or the first movement coda, but less so for the endlessly
insistent 5-note rhythm that dominates the first movement which feels somewhat
emasculated. Furthermore, the balance favours the soloist rather too much so
that the orchestral climaxes can sound underwhelming. I can live with this
in the slow movement, however, as it makes the soloist’s counter-melody
shine with uncanny radiance, even if it is a little artificial. The pace of
the finale works well too and I left feeling that while this reading may not
knock any others off their perch it will do nicely as one to come back to from
time to time.
All told, the finest thing about this disc is the Rotterdam Orchestra, who
distinguish themselves again and again, not just in the Korngold but also in
moments such as the beginning of the first movement development in the Beethoven:
the orchestral violins’ accompaniment to the main theme sounds almost
like an engine revving, which I found surprisingly exhilarating. A disc worth
exploring, especially if you want the Korngold.
Simon Thompson