This is a must-have disk from the renowned Canadian violinist James Ehnes.
The violin concertos of Barber and Korngold have been partnered on record before, and Ehnes knows full well what a successful pairing they are.
He then adds William Walton's lesser-known concerto to complete a trilogy of works composed in the 1930s and 40s.
The first and second are among the most romantic things composed for violin in the last century and Walton's work, while more stylistically ambiguous, has a solid case made for it with Ehnes's flowing, colourful reading. The opening sognando theme soars effortlessly, with precise portamento and a lyrical legato that carries throughout the violin's range. Ehnes plays the “Ex Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715, which has a fantastically thick, syrupy resonance in its lower middle region and only a slight insecurity up above.
Ehnes's playing is mellifluous and flowing: exactly what is needed for these works. Korngold's concerto is perhaps superficial in the sense that it is created of ideas from the composer's film compositions, none of which are developed particularly ingeniously. The variations on a theme from Anthony Adverse (1936) in movement three are not varied at all – one senses that sensuousness of sound is what is important – but then again, it is hard not to fall in love with such gloriously melodic writing.
Immediately in the Moderato nobile, Ehnes's phrasing stands out. The opening two octave surge is flowing and confident; a slight hesitation on the following descent down the scale is near perfect. Long melodic lines are unfurled with exquisite delicacy – the violin drifts up to its highest regions with no sign of strain. In the Romance, Ehnes sensibly keeps himself in check, realising just how sentimental this music can become, and only in the most surging passages does the bow caress the string in true Romantic fashion. The movement is all the more beautiful for it.
Ehnes's view of the Barber concerto is similarly intelligent – beauty, lyricism and flowing melodies there may be, but phrases are held back; vibrato adds deliberate uncertainty when Romanticism threatens to become overstated. And the moto perpetuo final movement manages to seem both an emotional release and a blast of fury, threatening to combust at any moment. Ehnes may bow legato lines well, but he is most certainly not found wanting when it comes to Presto passages. One need only listen to the final scurrying ideas to realise how secure the man's technique is.
Walton's work provides ample contrast with its predecessors, and what it lacks in traditional Romanticism it finds in the plethora of ideas that make up its three movements. Ehnes relishes each one, finding naturalistic rhythms in the work, adding textural colour to his playing and riding the orchestra with complete freedom. Vibrato harms a couple of top notes, but this hardly matters.
All is underscored by the thoughtful playing of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, who seem to do Romantic music very well indeed. Perhaps the violins are not as lush as they might be, but conductor Bramwell Tovey finds many colours and shadings in the orchestral writing and never allows his forces to seem merely an accompanist. All in all, highly recommended.
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