by Brian Bice
October 4, 2008

Rating: ★★★★★

Hilary Hahn’s latest recording is one that is not to be missed.  The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen joins her on this recording.  Ms. Hahn makes a seemingly unlikely pairing of two concertos by two major composers of the early 20th Century.  Arnold Schoenberg and Jean Sibelius.  They are two of the more diametrically opposed composers from the first half of the 20th Century.  However, upon listening to these works and learning more about how these pieces came to be, the pairing may actually be a logical choice.

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was born in Germany, fathered the serialist movement and later immigrated to the United States as the Nazi regime came into power.  Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was born in Finland, and began his musical life as a concert violinist.  While in college he began studying composition.  The allure of composing caused him to set aside his violin.

So why put these two composers, much less these compositions on the same recording?  The development of the two concerti contrast greatly.  Schoenberg began work on his Violin Concerto in 1935, when the venerable composer was nearly 60 years old.  This piece was initially conceived for his brother-in-law Rudolf Kolisch.  Incidentally, this was to be Schoenberg’s first major composition since settling in Los Angeles.  Upon completion of this piece Schoenberg gave a copy of the score to one of his new colleagues at UCLA, violinist Jascha Heifetz (1901-87).  Heifetz returned the music commenting it was unplayable unless the violinist has a sixth finger.  This reaction was not very surprising as Heifetz was ensconced in traditional violin technique.  Louis Kramer (1903-95) ultimately performed the premiere.  Recently, Kramer had commissioned and premiered a Violin Concerto by Alban Berg, one of Schoenberg’s former students.  The premiere of Schoenberg’s concerto took place on December 6, 1940 with Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra.  Schoenberg was unable to be present at the premiere.  He was set to listen to it on the radio, but was disappointed as the broadcast was canceled.

The Violin Concerto of Jean Sibelius has had a long life in the violin repertoire.  Unlike Schoenberg, Sibelius composed his concerto earlier in his life.  He began work on it in 1903 when Sibelius was in his late 30s.  Since Sibelius was a former concert violinist it is not surprising that he attempted such a large work like this early in his life.  The Violin Concerto was composed for the Hungarian violinist and composer Franz von Vécsey (1893-1935).  The premiere took place in 1903 with Sibelius conducting and Viktor Novacek on violin.  In 1905 Sibelius made a subsequent revision of the concerto into its current form.  The revised concerto was premiered in the same year with Karl Halir as the soloist and Richard Strauss conducting the Berlin Court Opera.

As disparate as these two works and these two composers may seem, there are many similarities that join these two pieces.  Both of these concertos were composed in times of personal turmoil in each composer’s life.  Schoenberg had recently settled into his home in Los Angeles and began teaching at UCLA.  Being near 60 years old, he had the desire to prove himself to his new colleagues and set forth in doing so by composing the Violin Concerto.  The Violin Concerto of Sibelius, his only foray into the concerto form, was composed during a period of financial challenges and heavy drinking.  Two problems that often seem to go hand in hand.

Both concerti turned out to be masterful pieces.  However, Schoenberg’s piece took longer to be accepted and adopted into the repertoire.  Despite its early rejection from Heifetz, Schoenberg’s concerto is considered among his the best achievements employing the twelve-tone technique.  Incidentally, the row for this piece is: A, B flat, E flat, B, E, F sharp, C, D flat, G, A flat, D, F.  Sibelius’s concerto is an exquisitely crafted piece that emphasizes the virtuosic aspect of the instrument.  Yet this piece has strong enough musical content to be more than just a showpiece.

Ms. Hahn’s performance of the Schoenberg Violin Concerto is hauntingly sublime.  This piece, which has been unjustly labeled “impossible to play,” is full of musical expressiveness and nuances that Ms. Hahn brings to life.  Even in the shorter legato phrases, the lyricism and emotion shines in her performance.  Through out this work Ms. Hahn is able to take command of the piece by maintaining crisp and clean articulations.  As the moods and performance techniques change, she changes confidently along with it.

The second movement of Schoenberg’s concerto contains lyricism that yearns to be free.  The violin shows flashes of late-romanticism, while the orchestra grinds along in fragmented gestures.  These gestures become so alluring that they draw in the soloist from time to time creating an ebb and flow of motion.  Even this with these constant changes, Ms. Hahn maintains command of this piece.

Schoenberg’s Violin Concerto is a difficult piece to perform; much more so than merely learning new hand positions to perform the notes of the piece.  The style of playing and the emotion of the piece seem to change with nearly every phrase.  Ms. Hahn’s performance demonstrates musical maturity well beyond her years.

Sibelius’s Violin Concerto holds much mystery and intrigue for the performer and listener alike.  At times thematic ideas seem to come out of nowhere to interrupt the current musical thought.  Other times there is an intense lyricism that really captivates the attention of the listener.  According to Ms. Hahn the violin part of the Sibelius concerto reveals an unexpected vulnerability.  This aspect is evident in the passionate performance she delivers of this concerto.

Ms. Hahn accurately portrays the lyricism and intensity of the piece through her phrasing.  Even in the sections where notes move faster, she conveys to the listener a sense of direction and convinces you that she knows where she is going.  Ms. Hahn performs all aspect of this concerto with fluid ease.  Her technique is near flawless as every note sounds with confidence.  Her tone is consistent throughout the range of her instrument.  This is truly the mark of a consummate professional.
The second movement of Sibelius’s concerto stands out from the other two.  The musical language and themes contain flashes of Beethoven and Brahms.  The violin and orchestra take on the more traditional roles of soloist and accompanist.  In the first and third movements there is a lot of interplay between the violin and orchestra that one feels that each group is given equal weight.  The inner workings of the piece between the violin and orchestra are so intricate and powerful that it makes you wonder: “Why was this his only concerto?”

The recording of these two pieces was masterfully done.  The recording is of high quality.  The balance between Ms. Hahn and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra is the same as what you would expect to hear in the concert hall.  Ms. Hahn’s sound does at times dominate the orchestra, but only when necessary.  Not being familiar with previous recordings of these two concertos, this reviewer cannot rightfully make the claim that these are definitive recordings of these works.  These recordings are masterfully done in all aspects of the process, from the performance to the editing and mixing.  The performances are amazing and are a must have for music lovers.

To order the CD click on the picture above.

To purchase mp3 of this album click here: Schoenberg: Violin Concerto / Sibelius: Violin Concerto op.47