Far from being Richard Strauss’ most successful orchestral work, the early Violin Concerto in D minor conceals moments of undeniable beauty and appeal. The grandiose first movement, the bittersweet Lento, the sparkling final Rondo, all bear the signature of a young genius still looking for his own individual voice but who’s already a master of development and orchestration. Sarah Chang, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra play the concerto with audible affection. Their generous, intensely lyrical but controlled approach underlines the conservative side of a work deeply rooted in tradition. In comparison, with a more keen choice of tempos, Hoelscher, Kempe, and the Staatskapelle Dresden (part of an EMI bargain box including all of Strauss’ major orchestral works) sound both more dramatic and strikingly contrasted.
A favorite of Heifetz, the Violin Sonata Op. 18 also has been wonderfully served by Kyung Wha Chung and Krystian Zimerman. At the piano, Sawallisch becomes just as perfect a partner for Sarah Chang as he is on the podium: calm, detailed, rhythmically consistent, and with a round sonority–just as we might expect from such a thoughtful conductor. The violinist’s tone shows a deeper, more taut dimension compared to her recent Goldmark Concerto recording, and that adds some salt and pepper to her performance. If the last movement lacks some impetus, the luminous Improvisation reveals the performers’ delicacy and sensitivity for Strauss’ melodic wandering. An excellent introduction to the young Richard Strauss.
