This unusual coupling of the violin concertos by Aram Khachaturian and Samuel Barber, entitled Two Souls, is tailor-made for Mikhail Simonyan’s exciting DG debut. Born in Novosibirsk, Simonyan has mixed Russian and Armenian parentage, but spent his formative years in the US. Simonyan's close rapport with Kristjan Järvi and his first collaboration with one of the world’s best orchestras, the London Symphony Orchestra, produce an extraordinarily fresh reading of the two concertos.
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto
1. Allegro Con Fermezza
2. Andante Sostenuto
3. Allegro Vivace
Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Presto In Moto Perpetuo
Barber: Adagio For Strings, Op. 11
Adagio For Strings, Op. 11
February 2012
“Simonyan is a true virtuoso; his playing has a natural, unforced authority and, among other accomplishments, his clear, brilliant spiccato bowing is heard to great effect in the finales of both concertos...this is a performance [of the Barber] of notable power, Simonyan's confident presence - aided by strong support from Kristjan Järvi and the LSO - generating considerable intensity as the climactic moments approach...All in all, a most impressive debut.”
20th January 2012
“Simonyan's intention was to bring out the qualities that embody the cultural roots of each composer: thus, he commissioned a new cadenza for Khachaturian's concerto by Artur Avanesov, to emphasise the Armenian flavour, and treated the dashing final movement of Barber's concerto in a looser manner than usual, suggestive of rustic American fiddling.”
Click on any of the works listed above for alternative recordings.
1. Allegro Con Fermezza
