Rare French works: for violin & orchestra

Everything here is delightful: the disc is a treasure trove of Gallic urbanity and fine technique … sumptuous … Philippe Graffin is one of the biggest young talents among French violinists—the... — BBC Music Magazine More…

Release Date: 28th Feb 2011
Catalogue No: CDH55396
Label: Helios
Length: 71 minutes

Fauré: Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 14

Work length15:46

Album only

Philippe Graffin (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer

Saint-Saëns: Morceau de concert, Op 62

Work length10:27

$1.50

$1.85

Philippe Graffin (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer

Lalo: Fantaisie Norvégienne

Work length14:01

$3.00

$3.75

Philippe Graffin (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer

I. Andante – Allegretto

Track length4:42

$1.00

$1.25

II. Andante

Track length4:41

$1.00

$1.25

III. Allegro – Presto

Track length4:38

$1.00

$1.25

Guiraud: Caprice

Work length11:47

$2.00

$2.50

Philippe Graffin (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer

I. Andante

Track length6:20

$1.00

$1.25

II. Allegro appassionato

Track length5:27

$1.00

$1.25

Lalo: Guitarre, Op. 28

Work length3:39

$1.00

$1.25

Philippe Graffin (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer

Canteloube: Poème

Work length15:29

Album only

Philippe Graffin (violin)
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer

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This is a collection of absolute gems. The one-movement Concerto by Fauré is the only movement to have survived from an original three-movement violin concerto, and Saint-Saëns’s Morceau de concert was originally intended as the first movement of his third violin concerto. Lalo’s Fantaisie norvégienne, with its utterly gorgeous slow movement, was to become the inspiration behind Bruch’s Scottish Fantaisie, and Guitare is an early encore piece for violin and piano (later orchestrated by Gabriel Pierné) that Lalo (himself a violinist) wrote for his own use. Guiraud, who taught composition to both Debussy and Dukas, wrote the haunting Caprice for Sarasate, and the Poème by Canteloube shows much of the charm he is now so famed for through his Chants d’Auvergne.

The combination of Romantic French music for violin and orchestra, the ever-exquisite playing of Philippe Graffin, and superb accompaniment from the Ulster Orchestra under Thierry Fischer makes this disc quite simply enchanting.

Reviews

Everything here is delightful: the disc is a treasure trove of Gallic urbanity and fine technique … sumptuous … Philippe Graffin is one of the biggest young talents among French violinists—the programme seems to be his choice, which proves he has taste and discrimination, and is an excellent
showcase for his talents

Philippe Graffin is one of the most sensitive and refined of violinists; he is also a champion of lesser-known French music … Graffin’s reflective approach perfectly suits the elusive beauty of the remnants of Fauré’s early violin concerto

Graffin’s intelligent and characterful playing serves up a rare feast … ‘Rare’ is doubly true: the quality of the playing here deserves that adjective … lusciously scored and richly violinistic … such a combination of enterprise, imagination and responsive musicianship is rare indeed

Philippe Graffin is just the player for these delectable byways of late-Romantic French repertoire … pure sound, inflected by a magical range of legato bow strokes and vibratos … Graffin plays [the Fauré] as though he believes in every note—what sublime advocacy! Graffin and collegues—Thierry
Fischer and the Ulster Orchestra provide commendably alert and (where appropriate) fiery accompaniments throughout—once again turn a top-notch performance … superb performances, then, boldly and atmospherically engineered

The Independent on Sunday

Delicious, decorous and very slightly old-fashioned, this programme of rarities is the quiet musical equivalent of a six-course dinner drawn from Elizabeth David’s French Provincial Cookery … lovely playing

Rare French works

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