Eugène Ysaÿe - Violin Concerto in E Minor; Poème Concertant (Philippe Graffin)

Information

Composer: Eugène Ysaÿe

1. Poème Concertant (orch. Erika Vega)
2. Violin Concerto in E Minor: I. Allegro appassionato non troppo vivo
3. Violin Concerto in E Minor: II. Andante
4. Violin Concerto in E Minor: III. Allegro in modo di pomposo ma furioso
5. 2 Mazurkas de Salon, Op. 10: No. 1, (Dans le lontain)
6. 2 Mazurkas de Salon, Op. 10: No. 2, Mazurka
7. Rêve d’enfant, Op. 14

Philippe Graffin, violin

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, conductor

Marisa Gupta, piano

Date: 2024

Label: AVIE Records

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Review

Two world premieres from Eugène Ysaÿe might seem like a bonanza, but that’s what we have here: a full-scale violin concerto, written in 1884 85 but never completed or orchestrated beyond the first two movements, and another work for violin and orchestra from a decade later, inspired by a love affair and entitled Poème concertant – though perhaps a later generation would have called this expansive 23-minute work a concerto as well. This, too, was never orchestrated. The job has been completed by Erika Vega, while the finale of the concerto has been reconstructed by Xavier Falques, who supplies a full rationale in the well-illustrated booklet.

In both cases, the completions feel wholly idiomatic – capturing the brooding colours of Ysaÿe’s particular brand of overcast, Franckian late Romanticism. The concerto, in particular, has an enjoyable swagger and sweep, even if it’s clear that Ysaÿe never quite decided what he wanted to do with the finale (which is headed, brilliantly, pomposo ma furioso). As soloist, Philippe Graffin is fully committed: agile, with a lean tone which in the quieter and sweeter passages takes on a confiding intimacy that I found very persuasive.

Nor do Kantorow and the RLPO stint on energy or atmosphere, though climaxes can be blustery and Graffin never feels quite as commanding – as charismatic – as you might hope when the name of Ysaÿe is involved. These are not what you’d call lived-in interpretations, but in the circumstances one could hardly expect that, and anyone excited by the prospect of two major unfamiliar works by Ysaÿe will find these performances much more than merely serviceable. The three encores – played with a sympathetic pianist, Marisa Gupta – are delightful.

— Richard Bratby

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Eugène Ysaÿe (16 July 1858 – 12 May 1931) was a Belgian violin virtuoso, composer and conductor. He studied at the Royal Conservatory of Liège and later with Henryk Wieniawski and Henri Vieuxtemps. Ysaÿe gained international recognition through extensive tours and was professor of violin at the Brussels Conservatory from 1886 to 1897. Renowned for his technical brilliance, expressive playing, and innovative use of vibrato, he influenced and inspired numerous prominent composers. His most celebrated compositions include six sonatas for solo violin, alongside concertos, chamber works, and the opera Piér li Houïen.

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Philippe Graffin (born 1964 in Romilly-sur-Seine, France) is a French violinist. Graffin was a student of the late Joseph Gingold and Philippe Hirschhorn and has established a particular reputation for his interpretations of his native repertoire as well for his interest in rare and contemporary works. He has made numerous landmark recordings for labels such as Hyperion, Avie, ASV and Onyx. Graffin plays a Domenico Busano violin, made in Venice, 1730. He is currently professor at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique and guest professor at the Brussels Conservatoire Royal.

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