Max Reger’s huge three-movement Violin Concerto has had few champions since Henri Marteau premiered it in 1908 with Artur Nikisch and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, yet a revival seems to be underway, at least on CD. The composer’s contrapuntal acumen and restless harmonic tangents always hold interest, even when his melodies frequently go in one ear and out the other, while the violin writing makes full use of the instrument’s sustaining power in all ranges, as well as throwing plenty of broken octaves, double stops, and complicated arpeggios at the soloist.
Surely CPO’s edition is the best-engineered Reger concerto so far, boasting surround sound technology that engulfs the listener within Reger’s massive orchestral forces, and positions the violin soloist in a realistic perspective. You can almost take dictation from conductor Ulf Schirmer’s beautifully contoured wind and string section balances in the first two movements, not to mention his faithful adherence to Reger’s tempo relationships and expressive desires. He takes the episodic third movement at a true Allegro moderato, although the leaner-toned Hyperion recording’s faster pace and lighter gait better address the composer’s “ma con spirito” directive.
Having admirably braved Reger’s similarly ambitious Violin Sonatas for CPO, Ulf Wallin’s impassioned, shapely solo work comes as no surprise, even if his pronounced vibrato reveals less variety than we might desire, in contrast to the relatively discreet yet expressively wide-ranging solo work of Manfred Scherzer in the freer-spirited Herbert Blomstedt/Dresden Staatskapelle recording. Interestingly, Wallin’s intense projection in the four-minute Aria provides a fascinating foil to the orchestra’s suave execution of long sustained chords—a well-regulated organ comes to mind. Although Reger Violin Concerto mavens (I’m sure they’re out there!) will not want to part with Scherzer/Blomstedt, they shouldn’t discount Wallin/Schirmer’s considerable virtues.
