COMPOSERS: Bartok
LABELS: Biddulph
WORKS: Sonata for Solo Violin; 44 Duos
PERFORMER: Eugene Drucker, Philip Setzer (violin)
CATALOGUE NO: LAW 020
Colourful, vivid and intense readings of Bartók’s music for violin, with and without piano, are the hallmark of this pair of discs. Although violinist Eugene Drucker’s tone has a certain gritty quality compared to masterful interpreters such as György Pauk, he brings a gripping, nervous energy to Bartók’s edgy, fragmented phrases and moments of yearning passion. His command of the delicate complexities of the Solo Sonata is exemplary, from the racing chromaticism of the Fuga to the richness and drive of the final Presto. Drucker is joined by Philip Setzer for the 44 Duos, which are finely judged; the simpler melodies of Books 1 and 2 are gentle and never over-forced, while the later pieces are incisive and yet sweetly lyrical. The broader concerns of the two Violin Sonatas are utterly compelling. Drucker’s playing is by turns bold and brash, delicate and melancholy, and Walsh perfectly matches his sensitivity of expression. Catherine Nelson
Bartok: Sonata for Solo Violin; 44 Duos
Colourful, vivid and intense readings of Bartók’s music for violin, with and without piano, are the hallmark of this pair of discs. Although violinist Eugene Drucker’s tone has a certain gritty quality compared to masterful interpreters such as György Pauk, he brings a gripping, nervous energy to Bartók’s edgy, fragmented phrases and moments of yearning passion. His command of the delicate complexities of the Solo Sonata is exemplary, from the racing chromaticism of the Fuga to the richness and drive of the final Presto.
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:11 pm