Two romantically-inclined English violin concertos played by a Russian violinist working in Denmark, a Danish orchestra plus two conductors, one Finnish, the other Italian - all recorded by a Danish label.

These words are by way of introduction, not criticism. I am not a believer in the only true voice for British music being by British artists. The chances of good music travelling would be virtually non-existent without orchestras worldwide being willing to explore and record music from other states and cultures.

The self-same coupling of concertos exists in the EMI catalogue where the soloist is the vivaciously-toned and fiery Ida Haendel (Bournemouth SO/Paavo Berglund). That recording dates from the 1980s and is now rather long in the tooth though astoundingly freshly-minted as a performance.

The two concertos date from the same year, written in the shadow of World War 2. Their composers stand at opposite ends of the style divide and yet these two concertos are spiritually close. The Britten is amongst his most romantic works running contrary to his usual style. The Walton is a vital example of his own true language.

Azizian is a powerful player though occasionally harsh in the sounds he conjures. He does not have the high-powered consistently tense approach of a Heifetz or an Oistrakh.

The Britten concerto performance rates highly, delicately stepping the line between neo-classicism and neo-romanticism, leaning more often into the latter. Vanska already has a well-justified and good reputation arising from his work with BIS and with the BBC Scottish SO. From the V-for-Victory figure at the opening through to the Prokofiev echoes (violin concerto No 1) and the uncharacteristic (for Britten) relaxation into succulent romance, this performance is extremely engaging and is in good sound. Only in the third movement before the twittering and flickering fantasy interlude does the work seem to wander and lose concentration.

Vanska surrenders the podium to (the, to me, totally unheard of) Giordano Bellincampi for the Walton concerto.

The Walton work (with its heritage in Elgar's much earlier concerto) is a classic of late late-romanticism; a passionate (Heifetz-dedicated and championed) work both loving and erotic, soaked in a Mediterranean glowing blue-green sea-swell. It is a work which appeals to me strongly. I rate the no-holds-barred recordings by Zino Francescatti (CBS/Sony) and Ida Haendel (EMI) very highly.

The first movement is nicely pitched in terms of breathing ebb and flow. What leaves me feeling dissatisfied is the recessed balance of the orchestra in which Walton has embedded much of the poetry of the work. Azizian is passionate and driven although he is not aided by an orchestra or recording that presents the ensemble as having a less than silkily sumptuous and golden upholstered sound. There is much to enjoy, not least the myriad moments of artful colouring presented by Azizian. He has a good sense of fantasy. The orchestra sounds somewhat disengaged and the outlines of the climactic spasm at 8:30 (first movement) are softened and blurred. This happens quite often in the orchestra and is a definite disadvantage. So what we have here is a very strong and poetically motivated soloist whose identification with the 'jolt and charge' of the music seems not to be consistently matched by the orchestra.

The helpful notes are in English only and are by the 'house' writer for ClassicO, Mogens Wenzel Andreason.

The playing time is not that generous by many standards but is perfectly respectable as indeed are the performances. There is nothing here that would put off the first time listener to these works. Clarity and a natural approach to recording balance have a great deal to commend them. I expect to hear more of Azizian on the international stage and in due time this recording is likely to become a collectors' item amongst violinist fanciers.

Reviewer

Rob Barnett

Reviewer

Rob Barnett