Barber, Walton and Korngold: Violin Concertos

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It's an inspired coupling, as well as a generous one, to have these three high-romantic concertos together. James Ehnes gives superb performances, bringing out their full emotional thrust without... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 30th Oct 2006
Catalogue No: ONYX4016
Label: Onyx
Length: 78 minutes

Penguin Guide

Rosette
Grammy Awards

50th Awards (2007)

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra)

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Korngold: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

Work length25:08

$4.50

$6.30

James Ehnes, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Bramwell Tovey

I Moderato Nobile

Track length9:01

$1.50

$2.10

II Romance: Andante

Track length8:58

$1.50

$2.10

III Finale: Allegro assai vivace

Track length7:09

$1.50

$2.10

Barber: Barber - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, op. 14

Work length23:38

$4.00

$5.60

James Ehnes, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Bramwell Tovey

I Allegro

Track length10:29

$1.50

$2.10

II Andante

Track length9:20

$1.50

$2.10

III Presto in moto perpetuo

Track length3:49

$1.00

$1.40

Walton: Walton - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Work length30:00

$4.50

$6.30

James Ehnes, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Bramwell Tovey

I Andante Tranquillo

Track length10:58

$1.50

$2.10

II Presto capriccioso alla napolitana

Track length6:09

$1.00

$1.40

III Vivace

Track length12:53

$2.00

$2.80

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Favourites, William Walton

James chooses some of his favourite recordings of music by one of the greatest twentieth-century British composers, William Walton.

Reviews

2010

It's an inspired coupling, as well as a generous one, to have these three high-romantic concertos together. James Ehnes gives superb performances, bringing out their full emotional thrust without vulgarity or exaggeration. His playing has always been impressive on disc, but here he excels himself in expressive range as well as tonal beauty, with expressive rubato perfectly controlled.
The concertos date from the late 1930s and '40s, and though at the time their romanticism might have seemed outdated, the strength and memorability of the musical ideas in each amply justifies the composers' stance. In the Barber, Ehnes more than usually brings out the contrast between the first movement – improbably marked Allegro when the impression is of a slowish piece – and the Andante slow movement, strengthening the work's impact. The Korngold, drawing its striking main themes from some of the composer's film scores, is just as richly lyrical, prompting from Ehnes some ecstatic playing of the many stratospheric melodies above the stave, using a wide dynamic range with wonderfully delicate half-tones.
The Walton is just as memorable, for unlike most latter-day interpreters Ehnes has taken note of the example of the work's commissioner and dedicatee, Jascha Heifetz. Where the work is generally spread to well over half an hour, Ehnes takes exactly 30 minutes and the result is all the stronger. This is one of Walton's most richly inspired works, and Ehnes brings that out strongly, helped by the powerful playing of the Vancouver orchestra under Bramwell Tovey.
Textures are not always as transparent as they might be but the power of the orchestral playing in all three works adds greatly to the impact of the performances. An outstanding disc in every way.

2011 edition

Ehnes proves an ardent and committed advocate, mirrored by Bramwell Tovey's glowing partnership, particularly in the lyrical, beautiful slow movement, which has exquisite delicacy of feeling. It is an inspiring coupling, as well as a generous one...Ehnes gives superb performances of all three, bringing out their emotional thrust without vulgarity or exaggeration. An altogether indispensable CD.

July 2014

Ehnes beguiles and captivates in the searching phrases that begin the piece, and there's no shortage of dazzling fingerwork later on.

Barber, Walton and Korngold: Violin Concertos

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Favourites, William Walton

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