Carl Nielsen’s Concertos for Violin (1911) and Flute (1926) belong to radically different stylistic periods. The former, packed with generous tunes and broad gestures, keeps an affectionate, post-romantic attitude, while the latter shows a more abstract profile whose crystalline transparency is dressed in luminous colors. Though championed by violinists as famous as Yehudi Menuhin, the Violin Concerto has not reached mainstream repertoire status. Its difficult solo part and weighty developments may be at least partially to blame for this, however Adele Anthony’s superb tone and assured virtuosity should convince even the most refractory listener of the work’s multiple virtues. Her playing overall is livelier, more accurate, and more constantly inspired than the competition (Kang on BIS, Koh on Kontrapunkt, Menuhin on EMI), notably in the final Rondo, taken slightly faster and with a greater sense of bounce. Under Dorrit Matson, the New York Scandia Symphony plays with good ensemble, character, and energy. Leszek Wojcik’s engineering manages to create breathtaking beauty and natural-sounding timbres, but zooms a bit too much on the violin.
Due to the nature of the solo instrument, the Flute Concerto sounds with a more natural balance. Here again, the accompaniment has plenty of give and take, while the soloist challenges Nielsen’s long lines with secure breath technique and a warm, full sonority that never becomes sour. I have only one reservation: at 53 minutes this excellent CD is a bit short. There is plenty of room for Nielsen’s third concertante work, the Clarinet Concerto. Both BIS and Kontrapunkt CDs offer it.
