Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 2, BB 85, Sz. 76

This is the second volume in a series devoted to the works for strings by Béla Bartók, with James Ehnes the featured soloist. Earlier this year, Ehnes recorded the Violin and Viola Concertos (CHAN10690), which was made Disc of the Month in Gramophone magazine. On this new recording, he turns to the Violin Sonatas and Rhapsodies, complemented by the earliest surviving work by Bartók for violin and piano, an Andante. He is accompanied by the pianist Andrew Armstrong.

Dedicated to the Hungarian violinist Adila d’Arányi, the sonatas for violin and piano were composed in 1921 – 22, around the same time as the highly successful ballet score The Miraculous Mandarin. Of the two works, the Sonata in C sharp minor is the more traditional in terms of its structure, and characterised by a mood that is sometimes exhilarated, sometimes turbulent – but always virtuosic. The finale builds from a series of increasingly wild dances, folk-like in style but entirely expressionistic.

In the Sonata in C major, Bartók removes himself from classical form and traditional tonal practice, calling on the violinist to distance himself from the romantic manner of playing. At several points, for example, the violin is played without vibrato, producing an ethereally cool and distant sound. The improvisatory character is strong throughout, as the work repeatedly alternates between the quiet and thoughtful, and the stormy and strident. The ending, in contrast to the earlier sonata, is understated, emotional, and expressive.

Bartók’s two rhapsodies for piano and violin, dedicated respectively to Joseph Szigeti and Zoltán Székely, are steeped in the tradition of Hungarian folk music. Exuberant and infectious, the works are heavily inspired by the csárdás, the national dance of Hungary, and display the traditional pairing of lassú (slow) and friss (lively) movements.

Hungaroton are proud to release the next edition in their Bartók ‘New Series’. Again the magic combination of Zoltán Kocsis and Barnabás Kelemen comes to the fore with an award-winning performance of the Violin and Piano Sonatas.

In the first half of the 20th century, Béla Bartók was one of the principal ambassadors of Hungarian music. He was influenced by the folk music of Eastern Europe and strove to break the confines of the traditions of Western Classical music, in order to create harmonies, rhythms and performance practices that were more relevant to his turbulent era. While the two sonatas differ in their relation to the Classical model, the influence of Eastern Europe can be heard in both: the arpeggios at the beginning of No.1 imitate the sound of the Hungarian cimbalom, and there is evidence of Hungarian folk music in its dance‐like finale as well as in the hor lunga‐style melody of the Romanian peasant music in No.2, which recurs several times throughout the piece.

The two Rhapsodies similarly share the influence; the slow ‘Lassú’ movement of No.1, for example, uses an exotic Transylvanian melody followed by a much more cheerful ‘Friss’ movement. Exoticism returns in the ‘Lassú’ of No.2, combined with a hint of melancholy, which is counteracted by the riotous dance of the ‘Friss’ thanks to its improvisatory nature and use of six separate tunes.

The disc features Antal Zalai, praised by Igor Oistrakh as ‘an exceptional violinist who has a perfect technique, beautiful large tone, real musical finesse and maturity as well as a noble personality’.

Joining him is József Balog, one of the most celebrated pianists of his generation and winner of the 2005 Annie Fischer Award.

Adrian Adlam and Thomas Hell play with great rhythmical precision and use Bartók’s tempo indications as accurately as possible. Their transparent performances grab the listener.

This disc is an interesting selection of music from Eastern Europe, featuring the first recording of Saygun’s Sonata Op. 20.

The young 2L label shows the tremendous scope of its activities in the six discs released this month. All recorded in state-of-the-art compatible SACD format, the repertoire ranges from Gregorian Chant for Lent and Holy Week, to

the music of Ola Gjeilo, very much a 21st-century post-modernist composer-performer, and Arne Nordheim, probably Norway’s best-known contemporary

composer.

The Nordheim disc demonstrates the other strand in 2L’s release programme:

young Norwegian artists – in this case the Cikada Duo. There is also a live recording of an excellent concert given by pianist Steffen Horn (Dussek, Grieg,

Rachmaninov and Prokofiev), and two discs devoted to young violinists in 20th

century repertoire: Annar Follesø playing Bartók, and an enticing coupling of

sonatas by Richard Strauss and George Enescu, played by Kolbjørn Holthe

accompanied by Tor Espen Aspaas.

Attractive and unusual “book” style presentation completes the picture, giving

instant ‘eye appeal’. Certainly, all worth checking out.