Miklós Rózsa - Orchestral Works Vol. 3 (Jennifer Pike; Rumon Gamba)

Information

Composer: Miklós Rózsa

• (01-03) Violin Concerto, Op. 24
• (04-06) Concerto for String Orchestra, Op. 17
• (07-16) Theme, Variations and Finale, Op. 13

Jennifer Pike, violin (1-3)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Rumon Gamba, conductor

Date: 2012
Label: Chandos
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2010738

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Review

Pike plays Rózsa in Heifetz’s footsteps

Though Miklós Rózsa had a cosmopolitan career, studying in Leipzig and living in Paris and London before becoming one of the most famous Hollywood movie composers, he never left behind the modal inflections and melodic character of the music of his native Hungary. The pre-war Variations are based on what sounds like a genuine folk melody, announced by a solo oboe. The work is a brilliantly scored orchestral showpiece, forceful, energetic variations alternating with episodes of lyrical expansion. The Concerto for string orchestra of 1943 is an altogether darker, more intense piece – even the folk-style finale has sinister episodes and the stark, declamatory themes of the first movement give it the character of a desperate lament. Whatever Rózsa’s intentions may have been, the music appears like a commemoration of an Eastern European culture in the process of destruction.

The Violin Concerto written for Heifetz has a traditional form and a fine balance of lyrical and virtuoso elements. On this spacious new recording I was particularly impressed by the wide landscapes of the slow movement and the dream-like episode in the middle of the finale. Comparing Jennifer Pike’s performance with the original Heifetz recording, hers appears cooler and more contemplative. Though she plays the brilliant passages extremely well, she lacks something of Heifetz’s manic energy and his ability to make of each movement a single passionate utterance. There’s much to be said for this calmer performance, highlighting the beauty of Rózsa’s intricate interplay between violin and orchestra.

-- DuncanDruce, Gramophone

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: ***** / RECORDING: *****
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Jan13/Rozsa_orchestral_v3_CHAN10738.htm

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Miklós Rózsa (18 April 1907 in Budapest – 27 July 1995 in Los Angeles) was a Hungarian-American composer. Best known for his nearly one hundred film scores, he nevertheless maintained a steadfast allegiance to absolute concert music throughout what he called his "double life". His notable Hollywood career earned him considerable fame, including Academy Awards for Spellbound (1945), A Double Life (1947), and Ben-Hur (1959), while his concert works were championed by major artists such as Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, and János Starker. Rózsa also received recognition for his choral works.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikl%C3%B3s_R%C3%B3zsa

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Rumon Gamba (born 24 November 1972), is an English conductor. He studied conducting with Colin Metters, George Hurst and Sir Colin Davis at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Gamba was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra from 2002 to 2010. In October 2008, he was named the next chief conductor and music director of NorrlandsOperan. In March 2011, Gamba was named chief conductor of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra. Gamba has conducted a number of recordings for the Chandos Records label, particularly in their Film Music series.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumon_Gamba

http://www.rumongamba.com/

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