Martinu: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Symphony No. 1

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[Gatto] has no need to fear the heat of rivalry. His warmly communicative playing perfectly suits a work that was written for one of the last century's most tonally alluring virtuosos...Weller... — Gramophone Magazine, August 2012 More…

Release Date: 26th Mar 2012
Catalogue No: FUG589
Label: Fuga Libera
Length: 66 minutes

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Martinů: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2, H. 293

Work length30:03

$5.05

$7.65

Lorenzo Gatto, Walter Weller, National Orchestra of Belgium

I. Andante – Poco Allegro - Moderato

Track length12:49

$2.05

$3.05

II. Andante moderato

Track length8:14

$1.50

$2.30

III. Finale: Poco allegro

Track length9:00

$1.50

$2.30

Martinů: Symphony No. 1, H. 289

Work length36:34

$6.00

$9.20

Walter Weller, National Orchestra of Belgium

I. Moderato

Track length10:49

$1.50

$2.30

II. Scherzo: Allegro – Poco moderato - Allegro

Track length7:24

$1.50

$2.30

III. Largo

Track length9:22

$1.50

$2.30

IV. Allegro non troppo

Track length8:59

$1.50

$2.30

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About

To graciously round off his time as conductor of the National Orchestra of Belgium, Walter Weller has chosen for his sixth album a composer that he holds dear to his heart, quite in keeping with his successful first Martinů album (FUG531) which was warmly received by the international press.

Martinů’s Symphony Nr.1 was commissioned by Sergei Koussevitzkyfor his Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1942. This highly attractive work, marked by a slow and poignant movement haunted by the spirit of the Lidice massacre, is dedicated to the memory of his wife Nathalie Koussevitzky.

Among the enthusiastic audience that attended the piece’s premiere was Misha Elman, then at the height of his fame and success. The virtuoso immediately approached Martinů with the request that he compose a violin concerto for him. It was no sooner said than done: Martinů delivered the piece in April 1943. Lorenzo Gatto, whose career has seriously taken off since being awarded second place at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in2008, defends this concerto (one of the finest written in the middle of last century) with enthusiasm. Noticed on Fuga Libera for two very beautiful recordings (Deconstructing the Wall–FUG565, and the Fourth Concerto which appeared on the Complete violin concertos of Vieuxtemps–FUG575), Gatto here confirms his place as one of the greatest talents of his generation. The liner notes are signed Harry Halbreich, an undisputed authority on Bohuslav Martinů.

Reviews

August 2012

[Gatto] has no need to fear the heat of rivalry. His warmly communicative playing perfectly suits a work that was written for one of the last century's most tonally alluring virtuosos...Weller has a natural feel of the swaying gait of Martinu's individual rhythmic language and his conducting, allied to fine orchestral playing and exceptionally good sound, certainly makes an impact.

Martinu: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Symphony No. 1

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