Béla Bartók, Ivan Vukčević, Marin Alsop, Mariss Jansons - Britten (1913-1976) Violin Concerto, Double Concerto : Baiba Skride(Vn)Marin Alsop / Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Vukcevic(Va) - Import CD

Credits:

Béla Bartók, Ivan Vukčević, Marin Alsop, Mariss Jansons

Description:

Latvian violinist Baiba Sklide and renowned conductor Marin Allsopp will perform together. The program features two interesting pieces: Britten's Violin Concerto and the rarely performed Double Concerto. The Violin Concerto was written in 1939, when Britten was 25 years old. It is said to reflect the anxious feelings and anti-war sentiments that were triggered by the outbreak of World War II. Britten revised the work in 1950 when Heifetz performed it, rewriting the violin part in the last movement, and made other small revisions in the following years before settling on the present form. The Double Concerto, on the other hand, was written while Britten was a student at the Royal Academy of Music. Although there are detailed sketches, for some reason the complete score was never completed, and the work was never performed during Britten's lifetime. After Britten's death, Colin Matthews completed the orchestration based on the sketches, and the work was finally premiered on June 15, 1997.In both pieces, Sklide's performance emphasizes the introspective and mystical atmosphere of Britten's works, while at the same time making vivid use of his instrument in the technical parts, and playing all the way through to the end without letting up on the tension. The viola in the Double Concerto is played by Ivan Vukcevich, solo viola with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio Italienne de Suisse. He and Sklide play well together. Naxos Japan