Igor Stravinsky; Béla Bartók - Violin Concertos (Viktoria Mullova)

Information

Composer: Igor Stravinsky; Béla Bartók

• Stravinsky - Violin Concerto in D major
• Bartók - Violin Concerto No. 2, BB 117

Viktoria Mullova, violin

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

Date: 1997

Label: Philips

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Review

What is interesting about Mullova here is her opening notes in the Bartók, which have an almost clipped sound. She dives headlong into the main theme on the first two notes, as if determined to bring out the essence of the music, its grit and muscle. Yet, her tone is not as big as Mutter's (DG), though she certainly does project enough power in this somewhat fleet reading. She is not sentimental in the second movement, maintaining a tension and fiery passion in this mysterious, dark music. In the outer movements she plays with commitment and a fine sense for drama and intensity.

If Mullova has a weakness, it's her tendency to sound slightly calculating. The opening of the finale, for instance, sounds a little too mechanical, the contrasts in her dynamics in the theme a bit exaggerated. Still, even this is hardly a problem, since her technical and interpretive skills are in evidence everywhere. When delivering Bartók's more rhythmic music, for example, she is always convincing, even if a bit inelastic. In the end, this is an intense, somewhat driven Bartók Second that will certainly satisfy her fans, as well as those interested in this concerto.

Her Stravinsky fares even better. The brighter music here brings out a more relaxed manner from her, and she misses little of the humor and delights in this work. Once more, Salonen is right on target in his conducting, revealing Stravinsky's scoring for all its subtleties and color. Like the Bartók, this is a leaner performance compared with most other efforts, having a slightly faster overall timing than even the Stern/Stravinsky from four decades ago.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra plays splendidly throughout both works and Philips provides vivid sound. Mullova is a violinist in the front rank today, and rarely does she turn in less than a compelling and distinctive performance. This recording is certainly witness to her consistent artistry.

— Robert Cummings

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Igor Stravinsky (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer. Son of an operatic bass, he studied privately with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov from 1902 to 1908. Soon after the impresario Sergei Diaghilev commissioned Stravinsky to write three ballets for the Ballets Russes: Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913). The last of which, with its shifting and audacious rhythms, was a landmark in music history. Later Stravinsky also adopted Neoclassicism and serialism in his composition. His major Neoclassical works include Oedipus rex (1927) and the Symphony of Psalms (1930).

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Béla Bartók (25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist who is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century. As an ethnomusicologist, his fieldwork with the composer Zoltán Kodály formed the basis for all later research in the field. Bartók employed folk themes and rhythms into his own music, achieving a style that was nationalistic and deeply personal. His notable works include the opera Bluebeard's Castle (1911), 6 string quartets (1908–39), the Mikrokosmos piano set, Concerto for Orchestra (1943), and 3 piano concertos (1926, 1931 & 1945).

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Viktoria Mullova (born 27 November 1959) is a Russian-born British violinist. Trained in Moscow, she gained recognition after winning the 1980 Sibelius Competition and the 1982 Tchaikovsky Competition, before defecting to the West in 1983. Mullova has since performed globally with leading orchestras and explores a wide repertoire from Baroque to contemporary music. She is particularly celebrated for her interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach. Her work also spans experimental and world music projects, supported by an extensive, award-winning discography and collaborations with prominent ensembles and composers.

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