Ernst's 'Grand Caprice (Der Erlkönig)' op. 26 assigns the four characters of Goethe's ballad (narrator, father, child, Elf King) to specific playing techniques or registers of a single solo violin.
Performer Biography
Maxim Brilinsky is a section leader of the first violins in the Vienna Philharmonic and also the leader of the Vienna Imperial Chapel.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, the composer of the 'Six Polyphonic Etudes', regarded Niccolò Paganini as his role model after hearing him perform in Vienna in 1828.
Performer Biography
Maxim Brilinsky, the performer on this album, is a prize-winner of several international violin competitions, including the Yehudi Menuhin and Paganini Competitions.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst aimed to surpass Paganini, particularly through an innovative polyphonic composition style for solo violin, which is evident in his 'Six Polyphonic Etudes'.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's name was largely forgotten for almost a century, despite his significant place in the history of virtuoso violin playing.
Compositional Technique
Ernst's 'Six Polyphonic Etudes' are dedicated to six famous violinists of his era: Ferdinand Laub, Prosper Sainton, Joseph Joachim, Henry Vieuxtemps, Josef Hellmesberger senior, and Antonio Bazzini.
You might also enjoy...
Paraphrases
Tartini: 30 Sonate piccole, Vol. 5
Chronicles for Solo Violin: Beamish | Eckhardt-Gramatté | Maconchy
