Sibelius: Violin Concerto; Smaller Works for Violin and Orchestra. James Ehnes, violinist; Edward Gardner, conductor; Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Chandos CHSA5267.
Now this is what I'm talking about! Musicians who don't resort to weird stuff in order to turn heads. Interpretations that aren't intended first and foremost to tickle elite funny bones. Just extremely solid, lusty performances I can recommend to anyone, especially to those who are hearing it all for the first time. James Ehnes, Edward Gardner, and the Bergen Philharmonic deliver again in this splendid release of Sibelius's works for violin and orchestra. It's the latest winner in a steady series of wins for these artists. Long may it all continue!
I'm serious. This is one of the better Sibelius Violin Concerto performances you'll hear. It's not one of the deepest, nor is it extreme (for good or ill) in any other way. But's it's wonderfully energetic, effectively conveying this masterpiece's passion and atmosphere. Ehnes has a bold tone color that glows even during the calmer moments, and Gardner and the BPO move things along without rushing or ruining the points where the violinist must linger a bit. If the finale lacks a certain smooth lightness in some of the virtuosic passages, the performers' gusto in the whole movement soundly makes up for this. It's refreshing to hear such arresting forthrightness in a work that has invited too much eccentricity.
What's sometimes missed in all of the critical gushing over Sibelius's longer forms is how adept he was at creating highly distinctive moods. Some of the most immersive of these are to be found in his shorter pieces for violin and orchestra, which are easy to overlook. Ehnes and Company admirably resist making them afterthoughts or mere disc-fillers. Rather, they treat them with the same seriousness of purpose that they do the Concerto. To be blunt, you won't hear better performances than the ones here. They are absolutely sumptuous. (Op. 77, No. 1 is particularly lovely!)
One small curiosity is present, though. The brief pieces entitled Suite for Violin and Orchestra, composed in 1929, are among Sibelius's very last substantial music. Along with other late sets of miniatures, they appeared at the suggestion of his publisher Carl Fischer. While the composer had at at one time designated them as his Op. 117, his final opus list from the early 1950s shows no work carrying this opus number, stopping instead at 116. I have not read Chandos's liner notes to see why the set is listed on this recording as Op. 117 (instead of the opus-less marking of JS 185), but I thought it all worth noting here. (For a fuller treatment of this matter, see Andrew Barnett, Sibelius, Yale University Press, 2007, pp. 330-331.)
Regardless, one is grateful to have so many works so finely recorded. Make this recording your go-to option for the miniatures; and put it in your constellation of wonderful Sibelius Violin Concertos if there's room.
Verdict: Highly Recommended
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