CD Review
Britten / Korngold: Britten & Korngold Violin Concertos
- Composer
- Britten / Korngold
- Artist
- Vilde Frang, violin; Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra / James Gaffigan
- Label
- Warner Classics
- Catalogue
- 0825646009213
Both concertos on this disc were written when their composers were in the USA around the time of World War II: the Korngold was completed in 1945, the Britten in 1939. In the course of the 1930s Korngold, an Austrian Jew, had become a prominent Hollywood composer, but could not return to his homeland after 1938; the young Britten, a pacifist, left the UK for New York shortly before the declaration of war in 1939. Both composers had been child prodigies, and both concertos are centred around the key of D, the most “natural” key on the violin and the tonal focus for the violin concertos of Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.
“[Frang’s] sound is superb, icy, fiery, whispered, ultra-rich, and her phrases pour out fearlessly, urgently. It’s a fresh and convincing performance. She couples the Britten with the 1945 wartime concerto by Erich Korngold and doesn’t apologise for its syrupy contours, but also brings out interesting nuances of doubt and fragility. James Gaffigan and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony are robust backers.” The Guardian, January 2016
“Frang is unfazed by the difficulties of both works (Britten had to simplify the solo part for its dedicatee, but later restored its technical pyrotechnics), and her keen, penetrating tone never wallows in Korngold’s Rachmaninovian melodies. Indeed, she brings an astringency to the music that one associates with the Stravinskyan piquancy of Britten’s writing. A bold coupling, superbly executed.” The Sunday Times, January 2016
“These are urgently communicative, potentially transformative accounts of scores which, if no longer confined to the fringes of the repertoire, have yet to command universal admiration…playing with almost intimidating dexterity and polish, not to mention impeccable intonation [Frang’s] music-making still manages to project an impression of honesty and naturalness.” Gramophone, February 2016, Disc of the Month
A note on this page
No named mmmusic staff review of this specific release survived in the archive we recovered, the page as captured consists of the label’s own recording summary together with genuine, dated press excerpts from The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Gramophone. Those quotes are reproduced above with their real attribution rather than presented as in-house critical opinion.
Questions about this recording
Why pair the Britten and Korngold concertos?
Both were written by composers who had left their homelands around the outbreak of the Second World War, Korngold, an Austrian Jew barred from returning after 1938, and Britten, a pacifist who left for New York shortly before war was declared in 1939, and both concertos share D as their tonal centre.
Did both composers have similar early careers?
Yes, both were child prodigies. Korngold went on to become a prominent Hollywood film composer once resident in the US, while Britten's concerto (completed 1939) predates his later operatic career.
Did this recording win any awards?
Yes, it was named Gramophone's Disc of the Month in February 2016.
Is this recording still available to buy?
Yes, Warner Classics' catalogue number 0825646009213 remains findable through the label and classical retailers. We don't run an in-house shop, so we link out to Amazon and Discogs below.
