Gramophone – Issue 7 / 1999

Elgar 1 Re-discovered Works for Violin & Piano

 

‘He has made a number of well-received discs for Naxos and on the evidence of this most enjoyable anthology is a violinist of great technical accomplishment and communicative warmth, and he generates a really fine rapport with the admirable Benjamin Frith.
As the opening Romance immediately reveals, these artists bring an affectingly uncloying, totally unforced naturalness of expression to this charming repertoire. Even such well-worn nuggets as the two Chansons and Salut d’amour emerge with a new-minted freshness.
Eagle-eyed enthusiasts will also have spotted two world-premiere recordings in the contents listed above: the ferocious difficulty of the five solo Etudes characteristiques of 1878 has long put off any potential champions on disc (and Bisengaliev rises to the challenge with fearless aplomb). Lovely stuff.’

 

Author Andrew Achenbach