Juliette Kang here plays with quicksilver brilliance not only in the virtuosic Wieniawski concerto but in the rugged Schumann work, less grateful for the player. Yet, though she plays brilliantly, with dazzlingly clean articulation in bravura passages, these are comparatively smallscale readings. Where those virtuosos in the grand Romantic tradition are balanced relatively close, Kang is more naturally balanced in a slightly recessed acoustic. The impression is of a sweet, silvery violin tone that can't expand so fully; the orchestral strings, too, sound relatively small-scale. What matters is that the performances are all very persuasive. The Schumann, with its bravura double-stopping at the start, finds Kang fiery and impetuous, making up for barnstorming power, and when it comes to lyrical passages the poetry is beautifully caught. So too in the slow movement – introduced in a tender account of the brief opening cello solo – while the finale is taken at a speed which allows a delicious lilt in the dance-rhythms.
Similarly, in the Wieniawski Concerto, Kang is light and volatile in the rapid passagework, and relaxes sweetly into the songful beauty of the motto theme, playing with a natural, unexaggerated lyricism.
Those who insist on display as the first essential may not be completely satisfied, but deeper qualities amply make up for that. For those who want this unique coupling, this is a first-class recommendation.