James Ehnes plays the 'Ex Marsick' Stradivarius of 1715, which is on extended loan from the Fulton Collection.
Compositional Technique
Wieniawski's Polonaises and Mazurkas on this album pay tribute to Polish national dances, featuring technically challenging pieces that have remained in the repertoire.
Critical Reception
Sarasate's playing was praised for its enchanting sweetness, though some critics, like Busoni, dismissed him for lacking 'brains nor temperament.'
Composer Biography
Henryk Wieniawski, a Polish-born virtuoso violinist-composer, was a child prodigy accepted into the Paris Conservatoire at age eight and began touring after five years of study.
Composer Biography
Wieniawski's health was severely compromised by a grueling tour of the United States, where he performed 216 concerts in 245 days, often without speaking to his touring partner, Anton Rubinstein.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album aims to revive a genre of 'great violin music' by composers like Wieniawski and Sarasate, which the performer James Ehnes believes allows for more individuality than works by composers like Beethoven or Brahms.
Composer Biography
Pablo de Sarasate, a Spanish-born virtuoso violinist-composer, was sent to the Paris Conservatoire by the Spanish queen after his talent was discovered.
You might also enjoy...
Stravinsky: Works for Violin & Piano
Prokofiev: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2
Mayseder: Violin and Piano
Sarasate, P.: Spanish Dances / Serenade Andalouse / Miramar / Introduction and Tarantella / Muiniera (Homage To Pablo De Sarasate)
