Norwegian-born violinist
Vilde Frang makes her solo recording debut with
Prokofiev's first Violin Concerto and
Sibelius' Violin Concerto, plus three of the Finnish composer's Humoresques for violin and piano. With her sweet tone, fluent technique, and soulful interpretations,
Frang's performances can stand comparison to many of the great recorded performances of the past. She digs in deep in
Sibelius' outer movements and dispatches their manifold difficulties with apparent ease. Better yet is her ardent account of the central Adagio di molto, which sings with tremendous passion. Best of all is her open-hearted reading of
Prokofiev's concerto, particularly her ineffably moving take on the final bars of its closing Moderato. Ably accompanied by conductor
Thomas Søndergård leading the
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln,
Frang's recording should be heard by anyone who treasures these pieces or enjoys hearing fresh performances of works from the standard repertoire.
Frang's playing of
Sibelius' rarely recorded three Humoresques is a pure delight.