Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3 James Ehnes, BBC Philharmonic & Juanjo Mena

• Édouard Lalo (1823 - 1892): Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21:
• 1 Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21: I. Allegro non troppo 07:38
• 2 Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21: II. Scherzando 04:12
• 3 Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21: III. Intermezzo 06:14
• 4 Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21: IV. Andante 06:07
• 5 Lalo: Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21: V. Rondo 08:12
• Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921): Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61:
• 6 Saint-Saëns: Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61: I. Allegro non troppo 08:18
• 7 Saint-Saëns: Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61: II. Andantino quasi allegretto 08:30
• 8 Saint-Saëns: Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61: III. Molto moderato e maestoso 10:20
• Pablo de Sarasate (1844 - 1908): Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25:
• 9 Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25: Introducción [Entr’acte before Act IV] 02:44
• 10 Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25: I. Moderato 03:00
• 11 Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25: II. Lento assai 02:18
• 12 Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25: III. Allegro moderato 01:54
• 13 Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25: IV. Moderato 02:30
• Total Runtime 01:11:57

Info zu Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3

Pablo de Sarasate wurde in Pamplona, Spanien, geboren und avancierte bereits im zarten Alter von zwölf Jahren zum gefeierten Geigenvirtuosen. Das Wunderkind wurde zum Studium an das Pariser Konservatorium geschickt, wo Sarasate den Rest seines Lebens verbrachte. Als national und international gefragter Solist war er der Widmungsträger einer großen Anzahl bedeutender Konzerte von Komponisten wie Max Bruch bis Henryk Wieniawski.

Edouard Lalos »Symphonie espagnole« wurde für Sarasate komponiert, der 1875 die Pariser Erstaufführung spielte. Das Werk ist in fünf Sätzen angelegt und strotzt nur so vor spanischen Themen, Rhythmen und Einflüssen, die zu dieser Zeit in Frankreich sehr beliebt waren. Ebenfalls für Sarasate komponiert wurde 1880 das dritte Violinkonzert von Camille Saint-Saëns. Das Werk ist in seinem gewohnt klaren, raffinierten, fast klassischen Stil geschrieben und hat sich als das meistgespielte seiner drei Violinkonzerte behauptet. Das Album wird durch Sarasates eigene Fantasie über Georges Bizets »Carmen« vervollständigt – eine virtuose Glanzleistung für den Solisten, hier brillant gespielt von James Ehnes.

James Ehnes, Violine
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Juan Jose Mena, Dirigent

James Ehnes
began violin studies at the age of four; five years later he became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin, later studying with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music summer courses. At the age of seventeen he entered The Juilliard School under Thomas, graduating in 1997 with the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music. Although now resident in Bradenton, Florida, he has had several honours conferred upon him by his native Canada.

Ehnes, who plays the 1715 ‘Marsick’ Stradivarius, has made a substantial contribution to the recording scene. His playing, characterised by a large and well-nourished tone (heavily reliant upon a wide, powerful vibrato) is at its best in more extrovert and soloistic repertoire. This can be found in exciting performances of the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 3 (2000) and the rarely-recorded Dohnányi Violin Concerto No. 2 (2004), whilst the Barber Violin Concerto (2006) is a thrilling rendition, with a fantastically effervescent and rapid finale and a pleasingly varied and warm approach to the first movement which is enlivened by rather more tempo rubato than many performances.

Smaller-scale works can make Ehnes sound uncomfortable, as if he struggles to match his dramatisation appropriately to the work. Ravel’s Tzigane (2009), in a convincing ‘gypsy’ idiom, Kreisler’s Liebesfreud (2003), full of bonhomie, and Dvořák’s Op. 100 Sonatina (2004) all work well, however. Ehnes’ 2007 album Homage—containing a well-shaped Elgar La Capricieuse—aims to illustrate the differing voices of a range of fine historic instruments and bows. Whilst some variation can be heard, it is (as he acknowledges in his liner notes) Ehnes’ playing that predominates here. It would be interesting to see whether a more restrained, historical approach to playing these instruments would convey differences rather more, since what this disc shows instead is the unifying tonal effect of modern technique and modern strings. To some, Ehnes’ playing might seem rather overblown, but at its best it has a level of directness and excitement one cannot help but admire.

Booklet für Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3