William Schuman: Violin Concerto, New England Triptych / Ives: Variations on America
Although Schuman wrote his Violin Concerto in the 1950s, it seems very much at home in today's world. Loud, abrasive, aggressive, it is punctuated by deafening crashes; the opening sets the stage with a solo that leaps back and forth with dizzying speed and momentum. The violinist seems to spend a lot of time competing with the percussion, but the second theme is poetic and tender, giving the violin a chance to do what it does best: sing. It also gets to converse with the orchestral soloists; indeed, the orchestra is an equal partner rather than an accompanying group. The second of the two movements, oddly titled "Introduzione," includes a rhythmically pungent, witty, charming Scherzo, and a long orchestral fugue, as well as more singing sections and more bangs and crashes. The solo part is fiendishly difficult, with runs at top speed, stratospheric passages, double and triple stops, and one long and one short cadenza.In addition, it is full of instantaneous changes of mood and character, demanding utmost control of tone, nuance, inflection, and expression. Philip Quint negotiates all these technical and musical hurdles with easy virtuosity, aplomb, poise, and stylistic empathy. His tone soars rapturously in the lyrical parts, his playing is forceful but never rough. The two pieces of Americana show Schuman in a different, gentle, intimate light, though the first of the Triptych also abounds with brass and percussion. Ives's Variations, masterfully orchestrated, are a grand joke, poking fun at every imaginable dance form and even including his trademark polytonal imitation of two bands playing simultaneously. These "American Classics," interestingly, are performed entirely by non-American players: a Russian-born violinist, an English orchestra, and a conductor of Polish-Uruguayan descent. Music is indeed a universal language.--Edith Eisler