Henri Vieuxtemps - Rarities for Violin & Piano (Vilmos Csikos; Olivier Lechardeur)

Information

Composer: Henri Vieuxtemps

1. Souvenir d'amitié, Op. 8bis
2. Duo brillant en forme de fantaisie
3. Voix intimes, Op. 45: No. 1, Douleur
4. Voix intimes, Op. 45: No. 2, Espoir
5. Voix intimes, Op. 45: No. 3, Foi
6. Voix intimes, Op. 45: No. 4, Déception
7. Voix intimes, Op. 45: No. 5, Sérénité
8. Voix intimes, Op. 45: No. 6, Contemplation
9. Variations sur la romance en sol majeur de Beethoven
10. Elegy, Op. 30
11. Ma marche funèbre, Op. 58
12. Fantaisie (arr. Pacôme Lélio)

Vilmos Csikos, violin

Olivier Lechardeur, piano

Manon Lamaison, soprano (12)

Date: 2024

Label: Naxos

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Review

There is a lot of rare Vieuxtemps here, but then most Vieuxtemps is rare. This is all good fun, much of it, but not all, for showing off. The opening Souvenir d’amitié with its simple, natural flow, is a warm-up for the Duo brilliant en forme de fantasie sur des airs hongrois where the pyrotechnics really begin: Csikos and pianist Lechardeur tackle the virtuoso spectacle with élan.

The seven short works that make up Voix intimes are not for showing off, although they offer plenty of technical challenges, being salon pieces with a tendency to develop into high drama along the way. In one of the longest, ‘Douleurs’, the violinist shows an essential simplicity below its multiple embellishments and curlicues. ‘Deception’ seems an aptly unsettling tale, with ominous semiquavers nagging at its heart.

The Variations on a Theme from Beethoven’s Romance no.1 are pleasingly inventive caprices. The Elegie – originally for viola – possesses not only passionate melody, with lots of ornamental passagework, but also left-hand passagework in the keyboard part. If you’re listening to the album in a single sitting the Marche funèbre might seem a little samey. But the concluding Fantasie for voice, violin and orchestra (here for piano) has delightful duetting between Csikos and soprano Manon Lamaison. The recording is clear and close.

— Tim Homfray

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Henry Vieuxtemps (17 February 1820 – 6 June 1881) was a Belgian violinist and composer. A prodigy, he studied with Charles Auguste de Bériot in Brussels, Simon Sechter in Vienna and Anton Reicha in Paris before touring extensively across Europe and the United States. He held teaching positions in St. Petersburg and Brussels. Renowned for his exceptional technical precision and rich tone, Vieuxtemps became one of the leading virtuosos of the 19th century, and his style was widely emulated. As a composer, he was equally innovative, with his violin concertos making important contributions to the development of the form.

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Vilmos Csikos is an award-winning violinist who earned his Master's degree from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel. Since childhood, he has achieved remarkable success in international competitions. Csikos has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia and North America, collaborating with leading orchestras and conductors. He has also served as a jury member for prestigious violin competitions. In recent years, he has gained recognition for performances of works by Henry Vieuxtemps. He performs on instruments amde by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume and Giovanni Battista Rogeri.

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Olivier Lechardeur is a French pianist and chamber musician born in Marseille. He studied at the Geneva Conservatoire under Elisabeth Athanassova and Guy-Michel Caillat. Throughout his career, Lechardeur has collaborated with prominent artists including Vladimir Spivakov, Ruggiero Ricci and Michel Portal, performing extensively across Europe, North Africa and Asia as a chamber musician. Since 2006, he has also worked closely with theatre productions that combine music, literature, and drama. He currently serves as Professor of Art Education at the Departmental Conservatory of Aix-en-Provence.

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