Although not for every violin devotee, this disc of
Hans Werner Henze's First and Third violin concertos plus his Fünf Nachtstücke for violin and piano will thrill those for whom the anguished Alban Berg and mournful Karl Amadeus Hartmann's concertos are the sin qua non of twentieth century works in the genre. The First Concerto of 1946 was the 20-year-old composer's first "adult" work, but its maturity of expression and strength of purpose belie
Henze's lack of experience. The Third Concerto of 1997 was the 71-year-old composer's long-considered judgment on his native Germany, but its intensity of expression and depth of passion belie
Henze's long self-imposed exile from his native county. As played here by violinist Petter Sheppard Skaerved, both works receive ardently lyrical, fervently dramatic, and completely committed performances.
Christopher Lyndon-Gee leads the
Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra in wholly sympathetic accompaniment that goes beyond professional duty to personal dedication. In the Fünf Nachtstücke, pianist
Aaron Shorr is less an accompanist than a full partner in a performance of startling immediacy. Recorded by Saarbrücken Radio, Naxos' sound is big, deep, and colorful.