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Elgar: Violin Concerto album review – Vilde Frang’s exceptional performance makes this one of the finest to appear on disc
In a startling, authoritative performance of Elgar’s demanding masterpiece, the Norwegian violinist and Robin Ticciati are utterly convincing
Ticciati propels the opening orchestral tutti with real urgency, immediately dispelling any idea that would emphasise the score’s dreamier aspects; when she enters, Frang’s muscularity confirms that approach. That enables her to bring a beguiling beauty to her unfolding of the slow movement, cushioned by the transparency of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester strings, though even there the energy propelling the upward leaps in the solo line underlines the urgency behind the whole performance. The two miniatures added at the end of the disc – a violin-and-piano version of Elgar’s wartime Carissima, and The Gardens at Eastwell – A Late Summer Impression by William Lloyd Webber – provide a final reminder of the sheer beauty and poise of Frang’s playing.
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