Sibelius: Works for Violin & Orchestra James Ehnes, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra & Edward Gardner

• Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957): Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47:
• 1 Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47: I. Allegro moderato 15:34
• 2 Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47: II. Adagio di molto 08:18
• 3 Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47: III. Allegro, ma non tanto 07:16
• 2 Humoresques, Op. 87:
• 4 Sibelius: 2 Humoresques, Op. 87: No. 1, Commodo 03:31
• 5 Sibelius: 2 Humoresques, Op. 87: No. 2, Allegro assai 02:25
• 4 Humoresques, Op. 89:
• 6 Sibelius: 4 Humoresques, Op. 89: No. 1, Alla gavotta 04:13
• 7 Sibelius: 4 Humoresques, Op. 89: No. 2, Andantino 03:32
• 8 Sibelius: 4 Humoresques, Op. 89: No. 3, Commodo 03:19
• 9 Sibelius: 4 Humoresques, Op. 89: No. 4, Allegro 03:18
• 2 Pieces, Op. 77:
• 10 Sibelius: 2 Pieces, Op. 77: No. 1, Cantique 05:02
• 11 Sibelius: 2 Pieces, Op. 77: No. 2, Dévotion 03:00
• 2 Serenades, Op. 69:
• 12 Sibelius: 2 Serenades, Op. 69: No. 1 in D Major 05:19
• 13 Sibelius: 2 Serenades, Op. 69: No. 2 in G Minor 06:28
• Suite for Violin & String Orchestra, Op. 117 in D Minor:
• 14 Sibelius: Suite for Violin & String Orchestra, Op. 117 in D Minor: I. Country Scenery 02:10
• 15 Sibelius: Suite for Violin & String Orchestra, Op. 117 in D Minor: II. Serenade. Evening in Spring 03:54
• 16 Sibelius: Suite for Violin & String Orchestra, Op. 117 in D Minor: III. In the Summer 01:50
• Total Runtime 01:19:09

Info for Sibelius: Works for Violin & Orchestra

Sibelius studierte in seiner Jugend Geige und spielte während seiner Studienzeit mit dem Gedanken, eine Karriere als professioneller Geiger einzuschlagen. Nach seinem Abschluss am Musikinstitut in Helsinki im Jahr 1890 ging er nach Wien, um seine Studien fortzusetzen, und bewarb sich dort sogar (erfolglos) um eine Stelle bei den Wiener Philharmonikern. Es überrascht also nicht, dass das Instrument in seinem kompositorischen Schaffen einen wichtigen Platz einnimmt. Erstaunlich ist, dass er nur ein einziges Konzert geschrieben hat - vielleicht liegt das an der schwierigen Konzeption des Werks. Die erste Aufführung erhielt gemischte Kritiken und führte zu einer umfangreichen Überarbeitung der Partitur. Erst als Jascha Heifetz in den 1930er Jahren begann, das Konzert regelmäßig aufzuführen, erhielt es seinen Platz im Standardrepertoire. Obwohl es kein zweites Konzert gab, sind Sibelius' zahlreiche andere Werke für Violine und Orchester keine bloßen Miniaturen, wie die Aufnahmen auf diesem Album eindrucksvoll beweisen. Der international gefeierte Virtuose James Ehnes wird hier vom Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra unter der Leitung von Edward Gardner begleitet.

James Ehnes, Violine
Bergener Philharmonisches Orchester
Edward Gardner, Dirigent

James Ehnes
Known for his virtuosity and probing musicianship, violinist James Ehnes has performed in over 30 countries on five continents, appearing regularly in the world’s great concert halls and with many of the most celebrated orchestras and conductors.

In the 2013-2014 season James performs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Australia. Season highlights include concerts with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Toronto Symphony, and a three-week residency in Melbourne, as well as performances in London, Paris, Berlin, Leipzig, Brussels, Prague, Tel Aviv, and Moscow. An avid chamber musician, Ehnes will tour with his string quartet, the Ehnes Quartet, and lead the winter and summer festivals of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, where he is the Artistic Director.

James Ehnes has an extensive discography of over 30 recordings featuring music ranging from J.S. Bach to John Adams. Recent projects include a disc featuring concertos by Britten and Shostakovich, three CDs of the music of Béla Bartók as well as a recording of Tchaikovsky’s complete oeuvre for violin. Upcoming releases include a double CD of the complete violin works by Prokofiev and a recording of Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto paired with Shostakovich’s String Quartets Nos. 7&8. His recordings have been honored with many international awards and prizes, including a Grammy, a Gramophone, and 7 Juno Awards.

James Ehnes was born in 1976 in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. He began violin studies at the age of four, and at age nine became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin. He studied with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and from 1993 to 1997 at The Juilliard School, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music upon his graduation. Mr. Ehnes first gained national recognition in 1987 as winner of the Grand Prize in Strings at the Canadian Music Competition. The following year he won the First Prize in Strings at the Canadian Music Festival, the youngest musician ever to do so. At age 13, he made his major orchestral solo debut with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

He has won numerous awards and prizes, including the first-ever Ivan Galamian Memorial Award, the Canada Council for the Arts’ Virginia Parker Prize, and a 2005 Avery Fisher Career Grant. James has been honoured by Brandon University with a Doctor of Music degree (honoris causa) and in 2007 he became the youngest person ever elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada. In 2010 the Governor General of Canada appointed James a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2013 he was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, limited to a select group of 300 living distinguished musicians.

James Ehnes plays the "Marsick" Stradivarius of 1715.

Booklet for Sibelius: Works for Violin & Orchestra