Schumann: Complete Works For Violin And Orchestra

Ulf Wallin, violin; Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie, Frank Beermann, conductor

Robert Schumann
Concerto in A minor for violin and orchestra (violin version by the composer of the Concerto in A minor for cello and orchestra, Op.129); Fantasy in C major for violin and orchestra, Op.131; Concerto in D minor for violin and orchestra (1853)

Wholenote Discoveries - September 2011
Throughout his life, Robert Schumann tended to concentrate on one particular form of composition at a time, and in 1853 he produced his only three works for violin and orchestra, although only one – the Fantasy in C minor – was premiered before his death 3 years later. BIS has released an outstanding SACD of the Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra featuring Ulf Wallin. The Concerto in A minor is Schumann’s own transcription of his 1850 Cello Concerto, and it works remarkably well, given the two instruments’ differences in pitch and tone. It was premiered as recently as 1987 after a copy was found in the papers of the violinist Joseph Joachim, to whom both the Fantasy and the Violin Concerto in D minor were dedicated. The Fantasy, an attractive work with a striking cadenza, fell out of favour after Schumann’s death, and the D minor concerto fared no better, with several projected premieres being cancelled before Clara Schumann and Joachim lost faith in it and decided against publishing it. Joachim’s resistance was probably due to the concerto’s technical and musical challenges: it’s a large work with a beautiful slow movement, but has never really established itself in the repertoire since finally being published and premiered in 1937. If anything can change that, it’s this recording. Ulf Wallin (who also wrote the outstanding booklet notes) uses Schumann’s original solo part, wisely choosing to ignore the later unauthorized “corrections and alterations” apparently made by Joachim. The result is a definitive performance, full of strength and beauty, and perfectly displaying the mix of Classical and Romantic styles that typify the music of this still often misunderstood composer. Terry Robbins
This rarity in the catalogue brings together Robert Schumann's complete production for violin and orchestra - three works from the period just before the composer was confined to the mental institution where he would die within two years. To various degrees, all of this music remained suppressed, forgotten or disregarded after Schumann's death. The only work that was performed in Schumann's lifetime was the Fantasy in C major, dedicated to the violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim. But although the première was a success and Joachim kept the work in his repertoire, the Fantasy fell victim to the incomprehension that a large part of Schumann's final works met with, and was for a long time rarely heard in performance. Written shortly afterwards, the Violin Concerto in D minor suffered an even harsher fate. Schumann also intended this work for Joachim, but although the latter was closely involved in the process of composition, he never performed the work in public. Instead, after the composer's death he and Schumann's widow Clara decided against publishing the work, which remained unperformed until 1937. It is likely that Schumann made the violin version of his Cello Concerto after composing the D-minor concerto, and probably it was once more Joachim who provided the inspiration. In any case, it was among Joachim's papers that the solo violin part with Schumann's handwritten additions was found, as late as 1987! A dedicated advocate of Schumann's music, the soloist Ulf Wallin has gone back to the composer's autographs in order to present these works in their purest form. He is aided by the fine team of the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie and their conductor Frank Beerman, making their first appearance on BIS. Ulf Wallin, on the other hand, has made a succession of acclaimed recordings for the label, earning him mentions as 'a mesmerizing soloist' in BBC Music Magazine, and 'a violinist of many facets, at the same time hallucinatory and direct, refined and accessible' in Diapason.

Price: $28.98

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