Augustin Hadelich: Bartók – Violin Concerto no.2; Mendelssohn – Violin Concerto (FLAC)

Composer: Béla Bartók, Felix Mendelssohn
Performer: Augustin Hadelich
Orchestra: Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Conductor: Miguel Harth-Bedoya
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Avie
Catalogue: AV2323
Release: 2015
Size: 261 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
01. I. Allegro molto appasionato
02. II. Andante
03. III. Allegro non troppo – Allegro molto vivace

Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112
04. I. Allegro non troppo
05. II. Andante tranquillo
06. III. Allegro molto

Augustin Hadelich follows his universally acclaimed, Gramophone Award-nominated recording of the Violin Concertos of Thomas Adès and Sibelius, pairing the Mendelssohn with Bartók’s Second, superbly supported by Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.


Augustin Hadelich’s first major concerto recording paired the Violin Concertos of Jean Sibelius and Thomas Adès (AV2276). Highly acclaimed, it was nominated for a Gramophone Award, was one of The New York Times’ Top Classical Albums of the Year, and was chosen by National Public Radio as one of the broadcaster’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2014, a list that included all genres of music. Augustin follows up with another provocative pairing, the ever-popular and melodious Mendelssohn with Bartók’s iconic Second Violin Concerto. Augustin revels in the concertos’ contrasts, as well as the similarities that emerge when the works are played together.


Augustin’s penchant for programming has quickly caught on, as BBC Radio 3’s CD Review noted of the Adès-Sibelius coupling: “It all makes perfect sense in this performance of [Adès’] ‘Concentric Paths’ which in turn makes more sense of the performance of the Sibelius Concerto. It really does work as a double header.” Augustin’s latest, in which he’s superbly supported by his frequent collaborator Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, is sure to strike a significant chord as well.

German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich made the most of a substitute appearance for Christian Tetzlaff at Disney Hall in Los Angeles in 2014 and has emerged as a growing young star. It’s easy to hear why in this 2015 release, combining a pair of well-worn repertory concertos, but offering new insights into each. Hadelich is well supported by conductor Miguel Harth Bedoya and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, who obviously took the time to figure out what the soloist was doing in readings that present unorthodox interpretations of both concertos. Efforts to run counter to type may achieve nothing more than quirkiness, but Hadelich’s performances have logic as well as originality. The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, is especially effective: Hadelich cuts way back on the vibrato in the outer movements and in general delivers a dry performance of a work that is generally synonymous with Romantic lyricism. The outer movements have an episodic quality with lots of local detail, and they stand up to the more lush slow movement. Hadelich also applies greater lushness to the Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2, a work in which Bartók flirted with serialism and devised an extremely ingenious hybrid sonata-variation form. Here he seems to be working a bit more at cross purposes with the music, but mileage may vary. At the very least, he’s an exciting young artist who’s not keeping things safe.