Walton: Violin and Cello Concertos

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WILLIAM WALTON
Walton: Violin and Cello Concertos
Dong-Suk Kang (Violin) Tim Hugh (Cello) / English Northern Philharmonia / Daniel

[ Naxos / CD ]

Release Date: Friday 15 September 2000

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William Walton is one of the most internationally famous British composers of the 20th century. His colourful orchestral scores, including two symphonies, concertos for both the violin and cello and his Coronation marches, have gained him a place in the standard repertoire. Yet for such a famous composer he wrote very little. The two concertos are cast in the mould of the great virtuoso showpieces of the Romantic era, the soloist given every opportunity for technical display, while the orchestra provides a backdrop of the iridescent tone colours.

"Walton wrote his Cello Concerto on the Italian island of Ischia. Its sunny, daydreaming mood is perfectly captured in Tim Hugh's powerful, yet mellow performance, and the spectacular fireworks of the Violin Concerto - composed for the late great Jascha Heifetz - cause no problems for Korean virtuoso Dong-Suk Kang."
- Classic FM, Jan 2000

This welcome new issue in Naxos's excellent Walton series neatly follows up their recent coupling, closely parallel, of Britten's Violin Concerto and Cello Symphony (8.553882). Here again, the cellist is Tim Hugh, outstanding in every way, whose reading in some ways is the most searching yet.

[Tim Hugh] finds a thoughtfulness, a sense of mystery, of inner meditation in Walton's great lyrical ideas... always sounding strong and spontaneous in the face of any technical challenges.

As in their previous Walton recordings, Paul Daniel and the English Northern Philharmonia play with equal flair and sympathy, so that the all-important syncopations always sound idiomatic.

There is a similar balance in the Violin Concerto... Dong-Suk Kang here follows up the success of his Naxos recording of the Elgar Violin Concerto, playing immaculately with fresh, clean-cut tone, pure and true above the stave... Many will also applaud the way that Kang opts for speeds rather faster and more flowing than have latterly been favoured.

"An excellent coupling - absolutely not just as a bargain - of two outstanding performances, with the Cello Concerto offering new depths of insight."
- Gramophone Recording of the Month, Nov 1999
- Finalist Gramophone Awards 2000 - Concerto

"Dong-Suk Kang has an impassioned lyrical line and suppleness of tone... there is plenty of character here, wit and warmth woven together in a winning interpretation.

[Tim Hugh's] performance is poignant in expression, matching energy with contemplative intensity in the final Theme and Improvisations. The orchestral playing in both concertos is vibrantly alive to Walton's colouring."
- Geoffrey Norris, The Daily Telegraph, 13th November 1999

"This coupling of the bittersweet Violin Concerto (1939) and the valedictory Cello Concerto (1956) should interest not only those new to the music, but also Walton connoisseurs... The Korean violinist Dong-Suk Kang and British cellist Tim Hugh both give effortless accounts of the solo parts. The playing of the ENP under an inspired Daniel is exemplary."
- Hugh Canning, The Sunday Times, 24th October 1999

"This latest in Paul Daniel's critically acclaimed Walton series for the budget label stands out as one of the finest Walton discs ever, whatever the price. The Korean-born violinist Dong-Suk Kang and cellist Tim Hugh both give electrifying performances which outstrip those of starry rivals, while, under Daniel's taut direction, the orchestra presents Walton's kaleidoscopic scores with an invigorating freshness".
- star rating, Andrew Clarke, The Independent 23rd October 1999