Violin and Orchestra Music, Vol. 4

Violin and Orchestra Music, Vol. 4 Naxos 8.572276

This volume concludes Tianwa Yang’s interna­tionally acclaimed series of recordings of Pablo de Sarasate’s works for violin and orchestra. This stunning programme includes the popular Introduction et Tarantelle and two delightful jotas. Sarasate’s scin­tillating flying staccato technique is heard in the Fantaisie on Weber’s ‘Der Freischütz’, while Le Rêve is a remarkable work in every way. “Yang is splendidly equipped as a Sarasate violinist, with her clear tone, pure intonation, impressive dexterity and light touch…startlingly beautiful.” (Gramophone on Volume 3, 8.572275)

Review:
The young Chinese violinist, Tianwa Yang, continues her remarkable display of virtuosity in the complete ‘Music for Violin and Orchestra’ by Pablo Sarasate. He had been one of the great virtuosos of his generation, writing works of such difficulty as to restrict their use to the composer and a handful of his contemporaries. His showpieces were littered with every ‘trick of the trade’ known to violinists, the sheer brilliance required titillating audiences. Nowhere was that more apparent than in his fantasias on melodies from popular operas that he decorated with outrageously difficult passages. Technique is more openly demonstrated in the Der Freischutz score based on the opera’s overture, passages of difficult double-stopping abounding, though this is easy compared with the feats of brilliance required for the fiendish difficulties of the Jota de Pamplona, and the skittish Scottish Airs. In a complete change of mood we have the delicate tracery of the violin around the quiet sounds of Le Reve, before Yang mesmerises with the agility of her left hand in L’Esprit follet. To this staggering display the Orquesta Sinfonica de Navarra conducted by Ernest Martinez Izquierdo add a colourful and mindful accompaniment. Very good sound quality and fervently recommended.
David Denton, David’s Review Cor­ner