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Thursday, July 17, 2025

Julius Röntgen - Violin Concertos (Liza Ferschtman)


Information

Composer: Julius Röntgen
  • Violin Concerto in A minor
  • Ballad for Violin & Orchestra
  • Violin Concerto in F sharp minor

Liza Ferschtman, violin
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz
David Porcelijn, conductor

Date: 2011
Label: CPO

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Review

Liza Ferschtman plays these two concertos (and the Ballad) very beautifully, and they are truly lovely works. The Concerto in A minor (1902) has two very long, slow opening movements, but the melodic ideas are so attractive that you hardly begrudge Röntgen the time he takes. The work is unified by a strikingly gorgeous, descending chromatic motive in which Szymanowski meets Wagner’s “magic sleep” motive. You never know exactly when it’s going to turn up, and whenever it does the result is bewitching. Ferschtman is particularly impressive in her high register, pure and singing, which is often exploited by the composer. The end of the slow movement is especially exquisite.

The Concerto in F-sharp minor dates from 1931, but stylistically there’s little difference from the earlier concerto, aside from a greater economy and concision. Röntgen was an unashamed follower of the Leipzig school (his father was concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra), but a very good one. The finale of this concerto, for example, features a splendid principal tune, and sounds like no other work, even though the stylistic provenance is clear. The Ballad, from 1918, is also memorably lyrical and atmospheric. In short, this is just good music, very well played and recorded.

— David Hurwitz

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Julius Röntgen (9 May 1855 – 13 September 1932) was a German-Dutch composer and teacher. Privately educated, he began composing at age eight and studied under prominent musicians like Ferdinand DavidCarl Reinecke and Franz Lachner. A meeting with Brahms in 1874 had a decisive influence on his compositional style. Settling in Amsterdam in 1877, Röntgen co-founded the Amsterdam Conservatory and helped establish the Concertgebouw building. He composed over 650 works in almost every genre, evolving from Romanticism to modern experimentation. His first wife was Swedish composer Amanda Maier.

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Liza Ferschtman (born 1979) is a Dutch classical violinist. She studied at prestigious institutions including the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Curtis Institute and Guildhall School, under notable teachers such as Igor Oistrakh, Herman Krebbers and David Takeno. As a soloist, she has performed with major orchestras like the BBC Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, collaborating with conductors such as Iván Fischer, John Storgårds and Stéphane Denève. Known for her affinity for composers like Schubert, Beethoven and early 20th-century masters, her diverse recordings span music from 1676 to 2014.

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