Violin Concerto No. 1/RIHM

Violin Concerto No. 1/RIHM Naxos 8.573271

Composed in 1947–48 but unperformed until 1955, Shostakovich’s Fir­st Violin Concerto is one of the great concertos of the twentieth century. The wide emotional range of its four-movement structure encompasses an opening of brooding, elegiac melancholy, a manic scherzo, a harrowing and deeply felt passacaglia, and a brilliant, concluding burlesque. Wolfgang Rihm has been described as ‘one of the most approachable, engaging and profound composers writing music today’ (The Guardian). The solo violin in Gesungene Zeit (Time Chant) plays one long fine-spun melody, the work creating a maximum of expression with a minimum of means.

Review:
One of today’s most sought after conductors, Jaap van Zweden reminds us, in this 1990’s reissue, that he is also one of the outstanding violinists of his generation. The youngest concertmeister of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the age of nineteen, these ‘live’ concert performances demonstrate both his brilliant technique and innate musicianship. He immediately places his Shostakovich in a league apart from all others on disc by his warm and rhythmically free opening statement. I find his following third movement so perfectly doom-laden, and his finale a whirlwind of brilliance…Many alternatives offer both Shostakovich concertos, but here Zweden brings to our attention Wolfgang Rihm’s 1992 work, Gesungene Zeit (Time Chant). It is a score of fascinating sonorities, often slow moving, the work builds inexorably to a massive climatic moment before descending to the mood of the opening. It demands very accurate gradation of dynamics to capture the unusual sounds, and in this respect the orchestra plays a role equal to that of the solo violin. A fine release I commend to you.
David Denton, David’s Review Cor­ner