Bruch • Erkki-Sven Tüür
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1; Erkki-Sven Tüür: Violin Concerto No. 2
Hans Christian Aavik (violin); Odense Symphony Orchestra/Gemma New
Orchid Classics ORC100380 51:39 mins
Clip: Bruch – Violin concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 - 3. Finale (allegro energico) (Hans Christian Aavik)
It was an audacious move to forego the familiar Mendelssohn coupling here, and instead pair Max Bruch’s perennial G minor Concerto with Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür’s second Violin Concerto, ‘Angel’s Share’ (2017). Both receive consummate performances from the acclaimed Estonian violinist Hans Christian Aavik, with the Odense Symphony under Gemma New.
Bruch’s First Concerto, an essential rite of passage for any solo violinist, is among the most over-subscribed works in the catalogue, though its enduring popularity shouldn’t blind us to its distinctive qualities. Nonetheless, in an overcrowded field, it requires playing of persuasive insight and brilliance to really impress, and Hans Christian Aavik’s account delivers convincingly.
Aavik’s playing is technically superb, making light of this work’s often considerable technical demands. Octaves and double-stopped passagework, for example, are razor-honed, and intonation is faultless, while his subtle dynamic inflections and rich tonal palette are undeniably captivating.
Erkki-Sven Tüür (b1959) studied in Tallinn, and spent five years as a member of progressive Estonian rock group Spe before quitting to major on composition. Today, with nine symphonies and ten concertos to his credit, Tüür is one of the most influential and eclectic voices in Estonian contemporary music. His single-movement Violin Concerto No. 2, scored for solo violin with string orchestra and a sizable percussion battery, is at once accessible and engrossing, and it would be hard to imagine it receiving more potent advocacy than it gets from Aavik. Michael Jameson