An excellent idea brilliantly carried out, The Roaring Twenties by violinist
Réka Szilvay and pianist
Christoph Berner joins together four wild and wonderful works from the 1920s:
Bartók's Rhapsody No. 1 from 1928, Janácek's sonata from 1921,
Ravel's sonata from 1927, and Schulhoff's sonatas from 1927. Each work is distinctly from its time, definitely from its place, and undeniably from its composer -- and yet the whole recital is indisputably the work of the players involved. Born in Finland to Hungarian-Austrian parents, violinist
Szilvay has a sparkling technique and a full palette of colors, but she also has her own distinctive supple but full-bodied tone. Viennese-born and raised pianist
Berner likewise has a fluent technique and a wonderful way of balancing sonorities, but he also has the commitment to stick with
Szilvay even in the toughest passages. Thus, whether in the passionate Lassú of
Bartók's Rhapsody, the ethereal Ballada of Janácek's sonata, the ephemeral Perpetuum mobile of
Ravel's sonata, or the ironic Burlesca of Schulhoff's sonata,
Szilvay and
Berner always sound at once like the music and like themselves. Recorded in bright and lively digital sound, this Alba disc is a sure winner.