Christian Sinding - Violin Sonatas (Dora Bratchkova; Andreas Meyer-Hermann)

Information

Composer: Christian Sinding

• Violin Sonata in F Major, Op. 73
• Scènes de la vie, Op. 51
• Sonate im alten Stil, Op. 99
• Romance in E Minor, Op. 9

Dora Bratchkova, violin

Andreas Meyer-Hermann, piano

Date: 2004

Label: CPO

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Christian-Sinding-1856-1941-Sonaten-f-Violine-Klavier-op-73-op-99/hnum/6305226

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Review

Even though Christian Sinding is remembered almost exclusively for the piano piece Rustle of Spring, he was regarded in his lifetime as the most important Norwegian composer after Grieg, and a stalwart of late Romanticism in the face of encroaching modernism. Had he not lived and composed well into the twentieth century but remained a popular figure of the fin de siècle, Sinding might be judged more fairly for his charming melodies, agreeably wayward harmonies, and effervescent style, and not discounted for his conservative tendencies or supposed lack of originality. Yet if one listens to his music for violin and piano on this 2004 CPO release, Sinding seems a more capable, congenial, and interesting composer than preconceptions might allow. Except for the Romance, Op. 9 (1886), which can only be considered a treacley imitation of Brahms, Sinding's other works on this album merit serious attention for their technical and expressive achievements. Most significant are the Sonata in F major, Op. 73 (1905), in which Sinding exhibits remarkably fluid and attractive melodic lines that sustain the expansive movements; and the Sonate im alten Stil, Op. 99 (1909), which offers much more emotional depth than its pastiches of Baroque dance forms might suggest. Somewhat frothier and less impressive are the four Scènes de la vie, Op. 51 (1900), which are vaguely programmatic parlor pieces in a Bildungsroman vein; yet even these have some delightfully brilliant passages for the violin, and a few quirky harmonic progressions reminiscent of Schumann. Violinist Dora Bratchkova and pianist Andreas Meyer-Hermann bring a great deal of warmth and personality to their performances, which matter more in Sinding's ingratiating music than exacting precision or tight coordination, which are not this duo's chief aims. CPO's sound quality is, as usual, exceptional.

-- Blair Sanderson, AllMusic

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Christian August Sinding (11 January 1856 – 3 December 1941) was a Norwegian composer. He studied music first in Christiania before going to Germany, where he studied at the conservatory in Leipzig under Salomon Jadassohn. He is known for his lyrical works for piano, such as Frühlingsrauschen (Rustle of Spring, 1896). Among his other works are four symphonies, three violin concertos, a piano concerto, chamber music, songs and choral works to Norwegian texts, and an opera, Der Heilige Berg (The Holy Mountain, 1914). He was often compared to Edvard Grieg and regarded as his successor. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Sinding

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Dora Bratchkova (born August 19, 1957 in Vidin) is a Bulgarian violinist. She won prizes at the Bach Competition in Leipzig, the Curci Competition in Naples and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Bratchkova worked as a lecturer at the Sofia University of Music, first violin of the Sliven Quartet and concertmaster of the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2003 she was appointed violin professor at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts. Bratchkova is currently first violin of the Rasumowsky Quartet. Her CDs can be found on CPO, Dynamic, Koch and Oehms Classics labels.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Bratschkowa

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