Daniel Hope’s new Deutsche Grammophon recording celebrates the artistry of the highly respected and significantly influential 19th-century violinist Joseph Joachim by presenting a varied assortment of music associated with him.
The Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, whose solo part Joachim re-worked at Bruch’s request, is a model of the “romantic” ethos, especially as played here by Hope, who offers a passionate performance brimming with bravura technique, all the while maintaining impeccable intonation and precision attacks in the outer movements, while his full-bodied tone and tender phrasing make the slow movement a soothing serenade. Sakari Oramo leads a bracing accompaniment with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, the effect of which is hampered by recorded sound that becomes unpleasantly congested and distorted in the climaxes (it’s as if DG were returning the brittle, over-saturated style of the Karajan era).
The remainder of the program (which offers improved sound) celebrates Joachim the composer (the Notturno and Romanza) and salon artist. It’s not surprising that works by Joachim’s lifelong friend Brahms are well-represented here, notably the all-too-rarely heard Geistliches Wiegenlied, for alto, viola, and piano (which was dedicated by Brahms to Joachim), performed with mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter and Hope on viola. Brahms’ secret heartthrob Clara Schumann also gets a rare hearing with her fetching Romanze (another piece dedicated to Joachim). In all, Hope’s engaging style lives up to the disc’s title. Sonic considerations aside, this an engaging release–and not just for violin aficionados.
