Rare French Works For Violin & Orchestra

Philippe Graffin, violin; Ulster Orchestra; Thierry Fischer, conductor

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) - Violin Concerto in D minor Op 14
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) - Morceau de concert Op 62
Édouard Lalo (1823-1892) - Fantaisie norvégienne / Guitarre Op 28
Ernest Guiraud (1837-1892) - Caprice
Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957) - Poème

Wholenote Discoveries - May 2011
The wonderful Philippe Graffin is back with another fascinating CD of little-known works. Last month it was English violin concertos, this time it’s Rare French Works for violin and orchestra. The works themselves may be little-known, but only Ernest Guiraud lacks stature as a composer. Fauré’s single-movement Violin Concerto in D minor is here – the second movement is lost, the third never written – as are Lalo’s three-movement Fantaisie norvegienne and his Guitarre, and Saint-Saëns’ Morceau de concert. The best surprises, though, are Guiraud’s beautiful two-movement Caprice, and Joseph Canteloube’s gorgeous Poème, the latter giving the lie to the composer’s apparent doubts about his melodic abilities. Graffin is superb throughout, with a rapid vibrato and a crystal-clear lustrous tone, dazzling in the higher registers, and with an obvious empathy for these seldom-heard but utterly delightful pieces. Recorded in 2001, this is apparently a re-issue of a 2002 disc; if you missed it the first time around, don’t make the same mistake this time. Terry Robbins
This is a collection of absolute gems. The one-movement Concerto by Fauré is the only movement to have survived from an original three-movement violin concerto, and Saint-Saëns's Morceau de concert was originally intended as the first movement of his third violin concerto. Lalo's Fantaisie norvégienne, with its utterly gorgeous slow movement, was to become the inspiration behind Bruch's Scottish Fantaisie, and Guitare is an early encore piece for violin and piano (later orchestrated by Gabriel Pierné) that Lalo (himself a violinist) wrote for his own use. Guiraud, who taught composition to both Debussy and Dukas, wrote the haunting Caprice for Sarasate, and the Poème by Canteloube shows much of the charm he is now so famed for through his Chants d'Auvergne.
The combination of Romantic French music for violin and orchestra, the ever-exquisite playing of Philippe Graffin, and superb accompaniment from the Ulster Orchestra under Thierry Fischer makes this disc quite simply enchanting.

'Philippe Graffin is just the player for these delectable byways of late-Romantic French repertoire ... pure sound, inflected by a magical range of legato bow strokes and vibratos ... Graffin plays [the Fauré] as though he believes in every note--what sublime advocacy! Graffin and collegues--Thierry Fischer and the Ulster Orchestra provide commendably alert and (where appropriate) fiery accompaniments throughout--once again turn a top-notch performance ... superb performances, then, boldly and atmospherically engineered' (International Record Review)
'Delicious, decorous and very slightly old-fashioned, this programme of rarities is the quiet musical equivalent of a six-course dinner drawn from Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cookery ... lovely playing' (Independent on Sunday)
'Philippe Graffin is one of the most sensitive and refined of violinists; he is also a champion of lesser-known French music ... Graffin's reflective approach perfectly suits the elusive beauty of the remnants of Fauré's early violin concerto' (Classic FM Magazine)
'Thanks to Philippe Graffin's bravura playing and rich accompaniments from the Ulster Orchestra and its new principal conductor Thierry Fischer, this anthology of 19th-century violin rarities delivers a spellbinding addition to the Hyperion catalogue' (Music Week)
'Graffin's intelligent and characterful playing serves up a rare feast ... 'Rare' is doubly true: the quality of the playing here deserves that adjective ... lusciously scored and richly violinistic ... such a combination of enterprise, imagination and responsive musicianship is rare indeed' (Gramophone)
'Everything here is delightful: the disc is a treasure trove of Gallic urbanity and fine technique ... sumptuous ... Philippe Graffin is one of the biggest young talents among French violinists--the programme seems to be his choice, which proves he has taste and discrimination, and is an excellent showcase for his talents' (BBC Music Magazine)
'One of the most charming discs of French music it has been my pleasure to review ... [the pieces] could well have been written for Graffin's silky smooth playing, each work so lovingly shaped, the fast passages despatched with an easy virtuosity. In Fischer and the admirable Ulster Orchestra, Graffin has devoted colleagues, the engineers adding icing to the cake' (The Yorkshire Post)

GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE · RECOMMANDÉ PAR RÉPERTOIRE · RECOMMANDÉ PAR CLASSICA

Price: $11.98