Walton: Violin Concerto

“An exceptional Walton First: Fremaux's approach is less hard-driven than many, but generates a real sense of space, and the Philharmonia responds brilliantly. Accardo delivers the Concerto with gorgeous virtuoso polish.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2011 ****

“Surely no one has conducted this music better than the composer himself - witness his incisive, account of Symphony No. 1.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2010 *****

“an outstanding release in every way” Edward Greenfield in Gramophone

“It's an inspired coupling, as well as a generous one, to have these three high-romantic concertos together. James Ehnes gives superb performances, bringing out their full emotional thrust without vulgarity or exaggeration. His playing has always been impressive on disc, but here he excels himself in expressive range as well as tonal beauty, with expressive rubato perfectly controlled.
The concertos date from the late 1930s and '40s, and though at the time their romanticism might have seemed outdated, the strength and memorability of the musical ideas in each amply justifies the composers' stance. In the Barber, Ehnes more than usually brings out the contrast between the first movement – improbably marked Allegro when the impression is of a slowish piece – and the Andante slow movement, strengthening the work's impact. The Korngold, drawing its striking main themes from some of the composer's film scores, is just as richly lyrical, prompting from Ehnes some ecstatic playing of the many stratospheric melodies above the stave, using a wide dynamic range with wonderfully delicate half-tones.
The Walton is just as memorable, for unlike most latter-day interpreters Ehnes has taken note of the example of the work's commissioner and dedicatee, Jascha Heifetz. Where the work is generally spread to well over half an hour, Ehnes takes exactly 30 minutes and the result is all the stronger. This is one of Walton's most richly inspired works, and Ehnes brings that out strongly, helped by the powerful playing of the Vancouver orchestra under Bramwell Tovey.
Textures are not always as transparent as they might be but the power of the orchestral playing in all three works adds greatly to the impact of the performances. An outstanding disc in every way.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Ehnes proves an ardent and committed advocate, mirrored by Bramwell Tovey's glowing partnership, particularly in the lyrical, beautiful slow movement, which has exquisite delicacy of feeling. It is an inspiring coupling, as well as a generous one...Ehnes gives superb performances of all three, bringing out their emotional thrust without vulgarity or exaggeration. An altogether indispensable CD.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition

“RCA's two-disc collection includes the premiere recording of the Cello Concerto with Piatigorsky – who commissioned the work – and the Boston Symphony under Charles Munch. Here is a highpowered reading, given an upfront recording, commendably full and open for 1959. Similarly Heifetz, who commissioned the Violin Concerto, remains supreme as an interpreter of that work, urgent beyond any rival as well as passionate.
Here he plays with the composer conducting the Philharmonia. The 1950 mono recording has been nicely opened up, putting more air around the sound, making the absence of stereo a minimal drawback. The other two concertante works come in digital versions: Kathryn Stott, originally for Conifer, adventurously going back to the original more elaborate version of the Sinfoniaconcertante, and Yuri Bashmet bringing his yearningly Slavonic temperament and masterly virtuosity to the Viola Concerto.
Bashmet's partners are the ideal combination of Previn and the LSO, and it's Previn's vintage version of the First Symphony with the LSO of an earlier generation that sets the seal on the whole package. Previn has never been matched, let alone surpassed. Also remarkable is the clarity, definition and sense of presence of the 1966 recording, with the stereo spectrum more sharply focused than in the digital recordings.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“Chung's intense Violin Concerto and Neubauer's firm Viola Concerto and Lloyd Webber's oddly matter-of-fact Cello Concerto are coupled with Litton's sometimes too easy-going Symphonies.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2013 ****

“Bowes is hardly a household name, but these exceptional accounts of Walton’s and Barber’s near-contemporaneous Violin Concertos...should increase his stock value...Bowes yields to none of the Walton’s great interpreters...in his dazzling passage work, and he brings a deliciously laid-back italianita to the canzonetta of the middle movement with his gorgeous portamento and rubato.” Sunday Times, 22nd May 2011 ****

“These works are already well represented on CD, but Thomas Bowes's performances, recorded with the solo violin placed well forward in the sound picture, make a strong case for themselves, especially his account of the Barber, which captures perfectly the first movement's rhapsodic musings.” The Guardian, 4th August 2011 ***

“What is so remarkable about Bowes as a soloist is not just his technical assurance, his flawless intonation over the widest range, tonal and dnyamic, but his natural feeling for warmly romantic expressiveness...Joseph Swensen also shows his natural sympathy for the Walton idiom...Altogether a resounding success.” Gramophone Magazine, September 2011