1930s Violin Concertos, Vol. 1 Gil Shaham

• Samuel Barber (1910-1981): Violin Concerto, Op. 14
• 1 Violin Concerto, Op. 14: I. Allegro 10:12
• 2 Violin Concerto, Op. 14: II. Andante 08:36
• 3 Violin Concerto, Op. 14: III. Presto in moto perpetuo 03:40
• Alban Berg (1885-1935): Violin Concerto (To the Memory of an Angel)
• 4 Violin Concerto: Ia. Andante 04:44
• 5 Violin Concerto: Ib. Allegretto 06:47
• 6 Violin Concerto: IIa. Allegro 07:13
• 7 Violin Concerto: IIb. Adagio 08:45
• Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905-1963): Concerto funebre
• 8 Concerto funebre "To the Memory of an Angel": I. Introduktion (Largo) 00:58
• 9 Concerto funebre "To the Memory of an Angel": II. Adagio 07:20
• 10 Concerto funebre "To the Memory of an Angel": III. Allegro di molto 07:49
• 11 Concerto funebre "To the Memory of an Angel": IV. Choral (Langsamer Marsch) 04:12
• Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Violin Concerto in D Major
• 12 Concerto in D Major: I. Toccata 05:47
• 13 Concerto in D Major: II. Aria I 04:09
• 14 Concerto in D Major: III. Aria II 05:02
• 15 Concerto in D Major: IV. Capriccio 06:08
• Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15
• 16 Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: I. Moderato con moto - agitato - Tempo primo 09:41
• 17 Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: II. Vivace - animando - largamente - Cadenza 08:12
• 18 Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: III. Passacaglia. Andante Lento (un poco meno mosso) 14:51
• Total Runtime 02:04:06

Info for 1930s Violin Concertos, Vol. 1

The 1930s was an incredibly rich decade for the violin concerto, thriving on what was the uncertainty of the age. Over 30 violin concertos materialized across the decade with well over a dozen, from Stravinskyand Berg’s through to Barber’s and Britten’s concertos all commanding iconic status within the violinist’s repertory.

Gil Shaham is the leading violinist of his generation. He was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, and in 2008 he received the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. In 2012, Gil was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America, citing his “special kind of humanism”. Combine this “humanism” with a flawless technique and his generosity of spirit, and the musical results are nothing short of inspired.

Gil’s recording of the Barber Violin Concerto displays his trademark rich soulfulness as well as the sounds of urban America when called for, skyscrapers, sirens, clearly manifest themselves in the last movement. The weeping, if not lamenting, solo violin in the Berg concerto, harmonized with very poignant 12-tone chords, reveals emotionally charged heart on sleeve mourning in this recording. For Hartmann’s Concerto funebre Gil is reunited with acclaimed Sejong Soloists, with whom he has recorded Mendelssohn’s octet and Haydn concerti (CC08), the New York Times observing from a concert performance of the Hartmann that Shaham “perfectly characterised the work’s anguished and occasionally angry spirit”.

Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto is a concerto with which Gil and conductor David Robertson have performed together countless times. The result is an interpretation which is luminous, light and dancing, The Times noting from this performance that “Shaham’s interpretation was exceptionally spirited and fresh, always at one with the incisive accompaniment from Robertson’s orchestra.” Benjamin Britten’s concerto is arguably the most challenging to play on this collection and is arguably the most sobering work here, and shows another side of Shaham’s musical personality; a work with a martial-like drama, and for the most part a forceful bordering on violent execution of the work unfolds, interspersed, where called for, an ethereal sound world bordering on the surreal; the tonal ambiguity at the end of the third movement positively haunting. In concert the Chicago Classical Review notes, “This is music that fits Gil Shaham like a well-tailored glove.”

Gil Shaham, violin David Robertson, conductor Juanjo Mena, conductor BBC Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
New York Philharmonic
Sejong Soloists
Staatskapelle Dresden

Gil Shaham
is one of the foremost violinists of our time, whose combination of flawless technique with inimitable warmth and a generosity of spirit has solidified his legacy as an American master. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, and he regularly gives recitals and ensemble appearances on the great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals.

In the 2012-13 season, Shaham continues his long-term exploration of “Violin Concertos of the 1930s,” a project beginning in 2010 and comprising performances at some of the most well-established concert venues with the world’s greatest orchestras. “Violin Concertos of the 1930s,” including the Barber, Berg, Stravinsky and Britten Violin Concertos, as well as the Bartok Violin Concerto No. 2 and the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, will be performed with the Orchestras of Baltimore, Boston, New York, Chicago, Montreal, San Francisco and Kansas City and abroad with the Orchestre de Paris and the NHK Symphony. In the coming months, Shaham will release his first recording tied to the project on his label, Canary Classics, which includes the Barber, Stravinsky and Berg Violin Concertos with three leading orchestras under the baton of David Robertson. Beyond “Violin Concertos of the 1930s,” Shaham returns to other favorite repertoire this season; pieces include the Brahms concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Cincinnati Symphony, the Beethoven concerto with the Boston and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras, and Mozart’s “Turkish” concerto with the Pittsburgh, Toronto and Seattle Symphony Orchestras. The season kicked off with a busy summer that included performances at Caramoor, Aspen, the Blossom Festival, Tanglewood and the Hollywood Bowl. In April 2013, Canary Classics will release Nigunim, a new CD – featuring Shaham alongside his sister, pianist Orli Shaham – that celebrates the “soulful melodies” of their Jewish heritage.

Shaham is also an avid recitalist and chamber musician. During recital tours in the US, Europe and Japan, Shaham explores new work including the world premiere of a solo suite written for him by William Bolcom and the recent commissioned duo works by Avner Dorman and Julian Milone with Akira Euguchi on piano. This season also sees Shaham return to Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, bringing his unique approach to these beloved works with an eye towards releases the complete work on CD in the coming seasons.

Last season, Shaham’s highlights included engagements in New York with three different world class orchestras including performances of the Brahms concerto at Carnegie Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Hartmann Concerto Funebre with the New York Philharmonic. Other high profile enegagements include performances with Boston, San Francisco, London, New World and Atlanta Smyphonies, a Japan tour with Mariss Jansons and the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestre, as well as residencies with Orchestre de Paris and Berlin. Shaham has more than two dozen concerto and solo CDs to his name, including bestsellers that have appeared on record charts in the US and abroad. These recordings have earned prestigious awards, including multiple Grammys, a Grand Prix du Disque, Diapason d’Or, and Gramophone Editor’s Choice. His recent recordings are produced on the Canary Classics label, which he founded in 2004. They comprise Haydn Violin Concertos and Mendelssohn’s Octet with Sejong Soloists; Sarasate: Virtuoso Violin Works with Adele Anthony, Akira Eguchi and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León; Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and David Zinman; The Butterfly Lovers and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Singapore Symphony; Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A with Yefim Bronfman and cellist Truls Mork; The Prokofiev Album and Mozart in Paris, both with Orli Shaham; and The Fauré Album with Akira Eguchi and cellist Brinton Smith. Upcoming titles include several installments of his “Concerto of the 30’s” project and Hebrew Melodies, an exploration by Gil and Orli Shaham of both traditional and modern Jewish music, including the world-premiere recording of Israeli composer Avner Dorman’s new work “Niggunim,”

Gil Shaham was born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, in 1971. He moved with his parents to Israel, where he began violin studies with Samuel Bernstein of the Rubin Academy of Music at the age of seven, receiving annual scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. In 1981, while studying with Haim Taub in Jerusalem, he made debuts with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic. That same year he began his studies with Dorothy DeLay and Jens Ellerman at Aspen. In 1982, after taking first prize in Israel’s Claremont Competition, he became a scholarship student at Juilliard, where he worked with DeLay and Hyo Kang. He also studied at Columbia University.

Shaham was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, and in 2008 he received the coveted Avery Fisher Award. He plays the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius. Shaham lives in New York City with his wife, violinist Adele Anthony, and their three children.

Booklet for 1930s Violin Concertos, Vol. 1