Béla Bartók - Violin Concertos (Isabelle Faust)

Information

Composer: Béla Bartók

1. Violin Concerto No. 1, Sz 36 Op. Posth.: I. Andante sostenuto
2. Violin Concerto No. 1, Sz 36 Op. Posth.: II. Allegro giocoso
3. Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112: I. Allegro non troppo
4. Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112: II. Andante tranquillo
5. Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112: III. Allegro molto

Isabelle Faust, violin
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Harding, conductor

Date: 2012
Label: Harmonia Mundi
http://www.harmoniamundi.com/#!/albums/1885

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

Bartók’s music seems to be less popular than it was a few decades ago; at least it has been a while since major new recordings of these iconic works have seen a new release. That wait has been worth it. Bartók’s First violin concerto never will enjoy the popularity of the second, not just because it sat unperformed until after his death, but because its thematic material suffers from what might charitably be called “chromatic drift”. In other words, it can sound pretty ugly, at least until you get to know it well. Happily, Isabelle Faust really knows her Bartók, as her very sympathetic and intelligent booklet notes demonstrate. She plays the dreamy opening movement with a pure tone and sure sense of direction, while the second movement exudes just the right kind of purposeful energy, even in the music’s most gnarly passages.

The epic Second concerto is even better. This is surely one of the great recordings of the piece. The long first movement flies by without a single dead spot, despite (or because of) huge contrasts in tempo between sections. Bartók’s suggested timing for this movement—12 minutes—never has been followed slavishly, and Faust’s 15 minutes exactly match the reference recording of Zehetmair/Fischer, as do the remaining movements for that matter. Perhaps the most telling evidence of Faust’s mastery occurs around measure 304, the passage in quarter-tones that leads into the big cadenza. Her purity of intonation makes sense of a moment that often sounds queasily out of tune, while the cadenza itself emerges naturally from what has come before, and leads inevitably to the orchestra’s return.

The central slow movement is again impressively cogent, its scherzando section deftly integrated, and the finale is really exciting. Faust and conductor Daniel Harding opt for the work’s original (and superior) ending, without the solo violin in the final bars, giving Harding and the excellent Swedish Radio Symphony a moment to shine. Apropos Harding, I have to say that this strikes me as some of his best work on disc: precise, attentive to matters of color and texture, considerate of his soloist but also nicely detailed. He’s very much an equal partner in these proceedings, and just as fine a one. Harmonia Mundi provides ideally balanced sonics that flatter Faust’s sweet tone without sticking a microphone inside the instrument. This is a wonderful recording in every respect.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: ***** / RECORDING: *****
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bart%C3%B3k-violin-concertos-nos-1-2
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Sept13/Bartok_VCs_HMC902146.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/08/bartok-violin-concertos-isabelle-faust-review
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalcdreviews/10217343/Bartok-Violin-Concertos-Nos-1-and-2-review.html
http://audaud.com/2013/07/bartok-violin-concertos-nos-1-2-isabelle-faust-violin-swedish-radio-sym-orch-daniel-harding-harmonia-mundi/
http://www.allmusic.com/album/b%C3%A9la-bart%C3%B3k-violin-concertos-nos-1-2-mw0002558490
http://www.amazon.com/Bartok-Violin-Concertos-Nos-1-2/dp/B00COU07DO

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Béla Bartók (March 25, 1881 – September 26, 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and an ethnomusicologist. Bartók is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Liszt are regarded as Hungary's greatest composers. Through his collection and analytical study of folk music, he was one of the founders of comparative musicology, which later became ethnomusicology. Bartók's music reflects two trends that dramatically changed the sound of music in the 20th century: the breakdown of the diatonic system of harmony, and the revival of nationalism as a source for musical inspiration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9la_Bart%C3%B3k

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Isabelle Faust (born 1972 in Esslingen) is a German violinist. She trained with Christoph Poppen and Dénes Zsigmondy. Faust won First Prize in the 1993 Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy. Since 1996, she has performed on the "Sleeping Beauty" Stradivarius violin of 1704, on loan from Landesbank Baden-Württemberg. Faust has performed as guest soloist with most of the world's major orchestras and won multiple awards for her recordings, mostly on Harmonia Mundi. She is a proponent of new music and has given world premieres of works by, among others, Olivier Messiaen, Werner Egk, and Jörg Widmann.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_Faust

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