This is a wonderfully intelligent program: Erich Korngold’s by now very familiar concerto coupled with a totally unknown but equally attractive piece taken from exactly the same period. Balys Dvarionas (1904-72) was a Lithuanian composer of Romantic Nationalist stripe–not the usual Socialist Realist stuff, but a genuine, folk-inspired melodist whose command of large form was, on evidence here, also quite confident. Although nominally in the usual three movements, the concerto’s first and last are interestingly structured, the former with its varied tempo areas, and the latter with its persistent minor key, right up to the end. It sounds very gratefully written for the soloist, and the tunes are top-notch. This work would grace any concert program, and we can only thank Vadim Gluzman for bringing it to our attention (and BIS for agreeing to record rare repertoire with first-rank performers).
Gluzman also has an original take on the Korngold concerto. His fleet tempos and fearless technical command (his double-stopping in a work chock-full of them is amazing) make this one of the most exciting versions of the piece currently available. He’s helped in no small degree by Neeme Järvi: the two of them race through the finale like demons while still leaving time to allow the climaxes to expand grandly, catching all of the music’s Hollywood glamour. Wonderful sonics, ideally balanced and warmly detailed, complete a program that’s wholly wonderful from start to finish. [6/30/2010]
