George Enescu (1881-1955)
Octet, Op 7 (1900) arranged for string orchestra
Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931)
Harmonies du Soir, Op 31 for string quartet and string orchestra (1922-24)
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
Concerto for string orchestra (1948)
Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
rec. 2022, Church of St Augustine, Kilburn, London
Chandos SACD CHSA5325 [64]
This disc is the latest in the series John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London have been making of works for string orchestra. There have been two of English music (review ~ review ~ review) and one of German (review), all of which have been warmly received by my colleague reviewers. Now we have a disc in which the composers are of different nationalities but have in common that they were all virtuoso violinists.
Enescu’s Octet is an early work, in which one can still hear echoes of Brahms and Fauré, and there is little of that elusiveness which can characterize his later works. He set himself the task of writing a work in four movements, each of which, while independent, would also form part of a single movement in sonata form. This was akin to his older contemporary Schoenberg’s endeavour in his first Chamber Symphony of a few years later, and had its precursors in Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasia and Liszt’s Sonata. The first movement is grand, the second a vigorous fugato, the third was described by the composer as a sort of nocturne while the finale is a kind of waltz, but one in which various themes are brought together. In later life, Enescu approved performances by a string orchestra, provided that some parts were given to soloists – though he did not specify which. Here the arrangement has been made by John Wilson, with Charlie Lovell-Jones and Philip Nelson. At nearly forty minutes, it is much the longest work here,
Ysaye’s Harmonies du Soir is a late work, first performed for the Belgian royal family but thereafter neglected until recently, along with most of his music other than the solo violin sonatas. It is in one movement and scored for string quartet with string orchestra. This is the same combination that Elgar used in his Introduction and Allegro and similar to that in Vaughan Williams’s Tallis Fantasia, which is for string quartet and double string orchestra. Although written with considerable contrapuntal skill, what is most evident about this work is the rich late romantic atmosphere, which makes the work comparable to Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht.
Bacewicz’s Concerto is in three short movements. It belongs to her neoclassical period, with its driving rhythms and leaping themes. It is very like Stravinsky’s works of this kind, such as his Concerto in D, or one could consider it a modern equivalent to Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. It was a great success in Bacewicz’s native Poland, where it won a prize and was admired by Lutosławski.
The playing here has all the exuberance, polish and precision which we have come to expect from this team. The recording is an SACD; I was listening in ordinary two channel stereo, but that sounded marvellous. There are other recordings of all these works, mostly on single composer discs, but if this combination attracts, there is no need to hesitate.
Stephen Barber
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