Dvorak: Violin Concerto in A Minor & Romance in F Minor - Suk: Fantasy in G Minor, Op. 24 Christian Tetzlaff & Lars Vogt

• Josef Suk (1874-1935): Fantasy in G Minor, Op. 24
• 1 Fantasy in G Minor, Op. 24 23:16
• Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53
• 2 I. Allegro ma non troppo 10:36
• 3 II. Adagio ma non troppo 09:48
• 4 III. Finale: Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo 09:56
• Romance in F minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 11
• 5 Romance in F Minor, Op. 11, B. 39 12:27
• Total Runtime 01:06:03

Info for Dvorak: Violin Concerto in A Minor & Romance in F Minor - Suk: Fantasy in G Minor, Op. 24

Ondine is proud the present this exciting program by the award-winning violinist Christian Tetzlaff. This new recording includes works for violin and orchestra by two Czech composers closely connected to each other, Antonín Dvořak and Josef Suk. Tetzlaff is accompanied by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by John Storgårds.

Christian Tetzlaff has been considered one of the world’s leading international violinists for many years, and still maintains a most extensive performing schedule. Musical America named him “Instrumentalist of the Year” in 2005 and his recording of the violin concertos by Mendelssohn and Schumann, released on Ondine in 2011 (ODE 1195-2), received the “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik”. Gramophone Magazine was choosing the recording of the Schumann Violin Sonatas with Lars Vogt (ODE 1205-2) as ‘Disc of the Month’ in January 2014. In addition, in 2015 ICMA awarded Christian Tetzlaff as the ‘Artist of the Year’. His most recent recording on Ondine with Brahms’ Trios (ODE 1271-2D) received a GRAMMY nomination.

Dvořak’s Violin Concerto is a work which the composer worked and reworked probably more than any other composition. This technically demanding work for the soloist was originally dedicated to Joseph Joachim who, however, never played it in public. Nevertheless, after its publication by Simrock in April 1883 its fame spread like wildfire and it was adopted into the repertoire of countless leading violinists, to widespread acclaim from public and critics alike. Dvořak’s Romance, Op. 11 is a delightful work written few years before the concerto and arranged for violin and orchestra by the composer.

Josef Suk, Dvořak’s pupil and later his son-in-law, was a remarkable violinist. It is surprising that the wonderful Fantasy, Op. 24 written in 1902 – a neglected gem in the violin repertoire – is his only concertante work for the violin. This work requires a wide spectrum of violin technique such as double-stopping, playing on open strings, and virtuoso runs, which demand a delicate grasp of voice and sequence.

„Tetzlaff draws on an exceptionally wide range of colours and nuances, from fragility to full-on passion. A disc to prize.“ (Gramophone)

„I’ve always loved the playing of German violinist Christian Tetzlaff for its chiselled, slightly austere beauty; his approach is totally unsentimental, with no concern for dazzle. So the romantic grandeur with which he opens Suk's Fantasy in G Minor came as a bit of a shock. So much vibrato! But then, he's the kind of musician who gets under the skin of a piece and gives what the music needs, rather than applying his own house style no matter what. His performance of Dvorák's Concerto in A minor is glorious and questioning: full-throttle in the chunky octaves and with a heavy bounce to the finale. But the real brilliance is in the vulnerability and tenderness he reveals in quiet melodies. Conductor John Storgårds and the Helsinki Phil have a way of communicating breadth and darkness through a sound that is clear and stripped back. Listen to the luminous strings that open Dvorák's Romance in F minor, the final work on the disc, to see what I mean.“ (Guardian)

Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
John Storgårds, conductor

Christian Tetzlaff
“Tetzlaff offered a reading of the Brahms concerto that was at once immensely virtuosic and deeply personal. From his very first entrance, this was viscerally explosive violin playing, but always with a sense of purpose and richness of inner life. (…) But I think what ultimately moves people is the emotional openness and deep sincerity of Tetzlaff’s playing.” (The Boston Globe)

Christian Tetzlaff’s interpretations of the violin concerto repertoire, whether of the classical and romantic period or the 20th century and the contemporary era, are appreciated throughout the world. He is particularly well known for his incomparable performances of Bach’s solo Sonatas and Partitas.

In the 2010-11 season Christian will be appearing in a series of projects as a Carnegie Hall “Perspectives” artist, among them the world premiere of Harrison Birtwistle’s Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and James Levine, a play-conducting project with the Orchestra of St Luke’s, violin duets together with Antje Weithaas, concerts with the Tetzlaff Quartet and performances with the Ensemble ACJW and Sir Simon Rattle. He will also give a master-class presented by the Weill Music Institute for young violinists and pianists. In Europe he will be performing with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen and the NDR Sinfonieorchester under John Storgårds. He continues to be a regular guest soloist with orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Orchestre de Paris, the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich, the National Symphony in Washington, the Toronto Symphony, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Christian performs at major festivals including those in Edinburgh and Lucerne, the BBC Proms and summer festivals throughout the USA. He also gives recitals with chamber partners including Leif Ove Andsnes, Alexander Lonquich and Lars Vogt, as well as his own Tetzlaff Quartet.

Tetzlaff’s discography for Virgin Classics and other labels includes the established concerto repertoire, Bartók Sonatas with Leif Ove Andsnes and the three Brahms Violin Sonatas with Lars Vogt. Christian Tetzlaff has received several awards for his recordings, among them the Diapason d’Or (twice), the Edison Prize, the Midem Classical Award, the Echo Klassik prize and several Grammy nominations. His recent solo recording of all of Bach’s solo Sonatas and Partitas on the Hänssler label deserves special mention. His recording of Szymanowski with the Wiener Philharmoniker and Pierre Boulez has been recently released, and much anticipated are his renditions of the Schumann Piano Trios with Tanja Tetzlaff and Leif Ove Andsnes.

Christian Tetzlaff plays a violin by German violinmaker Peter Greiner. He lives with his family near Frankfurt.

Lars Vogt
has rapidly established himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation. Born in the German town of Düren in 1970, he first came to public attention when he won second prize at the 1990 Leeds International Piano Competition and has since gone on to give major concerts and recitals throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America.

As an EMI recording artist, Lars Vogt has recorded fifteen discs for the label. These include Hindemith’s Kammermusik No 2 with the Berlin Philharmonic and Claudio Abbado, the Schumann, Grieg and the first two Beethoven Concerti with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle, who has described him as “one of the most extraordinary musicians of any age group that I have had the fortune to be associated with.” Recent recordings include Schubert solos for CAvi-music and Mozart Concerti with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra for Oehms Classics. In September 2010 he released a disc of Liszt and Schumann solos the Berlin Classics label.

For the 2003–04 season Lars Vogt was appointed the first ever Pianist in Residence at the Berliner Philharmoniker, devising four chamber programmes with members of the orchestra and performing with Sir Simon Rattle in Salzburg and Berlin. Other major orchestras over the past three seasons have included the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, NHK Symphony, the London Symphony, the Royal Concertgebouw, the Orchestre de Paris, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Bayerische Staatsorchester, the Dresden Staatskapelle and Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Highlights for Lars Vogt during the 2009-10 season included opening the Paris season for the Orchestre Philharmonique de France under Music Director Myung-Whun Chung, recitals with Thomas Quasthoff at the Salzburg and Lucerne Festivals and a residency at the Mozartwoche in Salzburg featuring Mozart concerti with the Wiener Philharmoniker under Christoph Eschenbach and with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding. Lars Vogt opened his 2010–11 season with two appearances at the BBC Proms, followed by a solo recital and a performance of the Grieg Concerto with the Czech Philharmonic under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Other collaborations this season include appearances with conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Harding, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Paavo Järvi and ensembles including the Orchestre de Paris, the London Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Oslo Philharmonic, Swedish Radio, the Boston Symphony and the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Lars Vogt enjoys a high profile as a recitalist and chamber musician and has recently performed in London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Rome and New York. In June 1998 he founded his own festival in Heimbach (Germany). Entitled Spannungen, its huge success has been marked by the release of ten live recordings on EMI. He enjoys regular partnerships with such colleagues as Christian Tetzlaff and Thomas Quasthoff and occasionally collaborates with the actor Klaus-Maria Brandauer and the comedian Konrad Beikircher. In 2005 he founded an educational project entitled Rhapsody in School. This has developed into a major educational project throughout Germany involving many high profile German musicians.

Booklet for Dvorak: Violin Concerto in A Minor & Romance in F Minor - Suk: Fantasy in G Minor, Op. 24