Rozsa : Violin Concerto, Op. 24; Cello Concerto, Op. 32; Theme and Variations for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra, Op. 29a
Like other European composers of his generation, Miklós Rósza, born in Hungary in 1907, found political and creative sanctuary in Hollywood, where he wrote concert music and many notable film scores. These three works clearly show that he never lost his roots in his native folk music. The violin concerto, a lush, romantic piece, was written at the urging of Jascha Heifetz and is tailored to his and his instrument's strengths, with singing, soaring melodies, brilliant passage work, and a very effective cadenza. Later, Heifetz and cellist Gregor Piatigorsky asked Rósza to write a piece for them; the "Theme and Variations" is the slow movement of a longer work. It is beautifully written for both instruments; based on a Hungarian melody, the variations are wonderfully inventive and varied in mood, character, and expression. The Cello Concerto too is extremely difficult and virtuosic, often quite wild and aggressive, and full of contrasts. The orchestration is excellent throughout, but not too heavy. The performances could not be better: McDuffie and Harrell surmount all the formidable technical challenges easily, their tone shimmers and glows, and their heartfelt but always refined expressiveness brings out the best in these unjustly neglected works.--Edith Eisler