Composer: Antonín Dvořák, Karol Szymanowski
Performer: Arabella Steinbacher
Orchestra: Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin
Conductor: Marek Janowski
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Pentatone
Catalogue: PTC5186353
Release: 2009
Size: 1.24 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35
01. Vivace assai
02. Vivace scherzando
03. Cadenza (by Pawel Kochanski)
04. Allegro moderato
05. Dvořák: Romance in F minor, Op. 11
Dvořák: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53
06. I. Allegro ma non troppo
07. II. Adagio ma non troppo
08. III. Finale: Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo
This is Steinbecher’s debut on Pentatone. She is 27 and was taught by the same teacher as Julia Fischer. Her previous recordings for Orfeo have all got great reviews.
Despite the relatively short time since the dawn of her international career, which began in 2004, violinist Arabella Steinbacher is already leaving a significant mark on the concert stages and recording studios of the world by this 2009 recording. She is rapidly proving herself to be an extremely mature, well-developed artist capable of handling the most musically sophisticated compositions in her repertoire. Such is certainly the case with the present performance of Karol Szymanowski’s intense, gripping First Concerto. Few violinists tackle this marvelous concerto, but Steinbacher approaches it with every bit as much reverence as is typically given to concertos of Shostakovich or Bartók. What’s more, her clear understanding of and unity with the score capture the attention of listeners from the first bar to the last. Her phenomenal technique allows her to focus on maintaining lines, coloring each note, and making sense of Szymanowski’s melodic language. The PentaTone album continues with an equally engaging performance of the Dvorák Violin Concerto. Although this concerto is performed with great frequency, Steinbacher’s interpretation is energetic and driven, robust without being overly sentimental, and powerful without being forced. Marek Janowski leads the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin in masterful, restrained accompaniments and rich, enthusiastic tuttis. PentaTone’s sound, particularly for those listening in 5.1-channel surround sound, is warm, present, and clear.