Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto No. 2 & Concert Overture Lydia Mordkovitch, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra & Vassily Sinaisky

• Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882 - 1937): Concert Overture, Op. 12:
• 1 Szymanowski: Concert Overture, Op. 12 12:35
• Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35:
• 2 Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 26:02
• Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61:
• 3 Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61: I. Moderato, molto tranquillo 11:47
• 4 Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61: II. Allegramente, molto energico 03:45
• 5 Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61: III. Andantino, molto tranquillo 02:29
• 6 Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 61: IV. Tempo I 02:47
• Total Runtime 59:25

Info for Szymanowski: Violin Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto No. 2 & Concert Overture

Like the diner at an international buffet, in his or her everyday life the twentieth-century composer is faced with a bewildering variety of cultural traditions. And just as the buffet diner faces the problem of creating a meal which is not simply a collection of interesting but incompatible tastes, so the modern composer has to siphon diverse musical, historical and cultural influences to form a cogent and personal style.

One of the first composers to face and overcome this peculiarly modern conundrum was Karol Szymanowski. During his lifetime Szymanowski was successively exposed to German romanticism, French impressionism, oriental culture and ancient history, and finally to the ethnic tradition of his Polish homeland. Each of these influences left a particular stamp on the composer’s style, the result being an output of remarkable development. Yet Szymanowski’s output is by no means that of a musical chameleon: not only does the subtle mix of these influences defy easy labelling, but throughout his music we can hear a continuous and distinct voice.

The first significant musical influence on Szymanowski was the late German romanticism of Wagner, Reger and Strauss. In the Concert Overture, first heard in 1906 as part of the ‘Young Poland in Music’ concerts which Szymanowski helped instigate, these Germanic overtones are clearly apparent. But Szymanowski’s influences were never solely musical. The inspiration behind the Concert Overture was literary – a poem by Micinski which affirms man’s power over the old gods: it is perhaps no coincidence that this theme reflects the Nietzschian creed which had so influenced Wagner. ...

Lydia Mordkovitch, violin
BBC Philharmonic
Vassily Sinaisky, conductor

Lydia Mordkovitch
was born in Russia and studied at the Odessa Conservatory and at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory where she was assistant to David Oistrakh. She emigrated to Israel in 1974 and has lived in Britain since 1980. She appears regularly with the London Symphony Orchestra, The London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic and the English Chamber Orchestra under such conductors as Vassily Sinaisky, Neeme Järvi and Richard Hickox. An impressive discography of over forty-five recordings reflects Lydia Mordkovitch’s very wide repertoire, encompassing music from the complete solo works for violin by Bach to the concertos of Shostakovich, her recording of which for Chandos won a Gramophone Award and a Diapason d’Or. Her work has twice been nominated for a Gramophone Award, has received seven Critic’s Choices, and recent recordings have won major nominations or prizes across Europe.

BBC Philharmonic
Based in Manchester, the BBC Philharmonic has established an international reputation, having travelled extensively to the USA, Far East, South America and all over Europe. Its Principal Conductor is Yan Pascal Tortelier, Sir Edward Downes is Conductor Emeritus and Vassily Sinaisky (Music Director of the Moscow Philharmonic) is Principal Guest Conductor.

The Orchestra records over one hundred programmes annually for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Television both in the studio and in public concerts all over Britain. Under its exclusive Chandos contract the BBC Philharmonic displays an extensive repertoire featuring artists such as Rozhdestvensky, Bamert and Hickox as well as its own conductors.

Vassily Sinaisky
is one of the most individual and charismatic Russian conductors of his generation. Trained by Ilya Musin at the Leningrad Conservatoire, in 1973 he won the Gold Medal at the Karajan Competition in Berlin and now enjoys a thriving career in Europe, Japan and America. He is Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic with whom he has toured Europe and North America, and is Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic. Vassily Sinaisky has been Principal Conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic since 1993 and has appeared with many other orchestras including the Leningrad Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, and the Detroit, Atlanta, San Diego, Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras.

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