Dvorák’s Violin Concerto has been undergoing a renaissance of sorts on disc, one that it entirely deserves. Its critics (starting with Joachim and Brahms) dismissed it for not adopting the usual sonata-form first movement structure, instead welding the truncated opening to the gorgeous slow movement. But really, how many violin concertos are there where you can really say that the best, most characterful and highly developed movement is the finale? And what could possibly be bad about that? Clearly Fischer and Suwanai understand where the music’s going: the performance gathers steam as it proceeds, and really cuts loose in that marvelous last movement. Suwani displays a characteristically polished technique and fine intonational ear (lending a lovely purity of utterance to the slow movement), but she’s not afraid to indulge in some “down and dirty” gypsy fiddling in the finale, or in the two Sarasate items that open the program. Okay, she may not be Josef Suk, Fischer is no Ancerl, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra is certainly no Czech Philharmonic; but this program–very well played, nicely recorded, and unified by its Slavic/Gypsy theme–adds up to much more than the sum of its parts. Like the Dvorák itself, it builds to a rousing conclusion and makes for a very satisfying conceptual whole. You’ll return to it many times, always with pleasure. [11/23/2001]
