Franz Berwald’s Violin Concerto begins with a very Schubertian andante, literally at a walking pace, with that master’s characteristic melodic turns in the second theme. Not only do the Schubert references end there, however, even for Berwald the writing sounds surprisingly conservative in comparison to his original and progressive symphonies. Those pieces, however, were composed more than 20 years after this concerto–a product of 1820 that features little of the syncopated rhythms, fresh melodies, and novel orchestration of the later works. Berwald seems to be aiming for a concerto modelled on the high ideals of Beethoven, and while it is very tuneful and pleasant sounding, it is held down from true greatness by violin writing that’s more than a bit prosaic.
Wilhelm Stenhammar’s two Romances are lush, serene, and melodic, but, as with Berwald, they give no hint of the style of his more famous and characteristic works. Tor Aulin’s Violin Concerto No. 3 is the real draw of this disc. This captivating work deserves a place in the standard violin concerto repertoire. The solo writing is brilliantly virtuosic, giving Tobias Ringborg the opportunity to really show off his technique. The molto moderato first movement is similar in style and melodic contour to Saint-Saëns’ Third violin concerto. The slow movement is a beautiful romance, while the finale (whose main theme is in the same rhythm that Dvorák used in his own concerto) is chock full of the obligatory fireworks that could probably do with more sharply accented playing than Niklas Willén and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra provide (though this impression may be caused by the somewhat opaque recording). A varied compilation, with much appeal for violin fanciers.
