For the Record, Op. 47: New recordings by Nikolaj Znaider; Antoine Tamestit; Francisco Fullana; Olivia De Prato

March 1, 2018, 8:24 AM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Nikolaj Znaider. Photo by Lars Gundersen.

Mozart: Violin Concerto Nos. 4 & 5
Nikolaj Znaider
London Symphony Orchestra

For this live-performance album, violinist Nikolaj Znaider performs as both conductor and violin soloist, directing the London Symphony Orchestra from his instrument, the ‘Kreisler’ Guarnerius ‘del Gesu’ 1741. This album is the first of two releases exploring all five Mozart violin concertos. "For me, Mozart is the greatest composer, because he was able to express everything that Mahler was able to express in one hour and 20 minutes, that Wagner could do in five hours, Bruckner in seventy-two minutes -- in 23, 24 minutes," Znaider said. "He could express the yearning and the desire and the pain of human existence, and yet it felt so easy." BELOW: Nikolaj Znaider talks about the violin concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with excerpts from the album.

Widmann: Viola Concerto
Antoine Tamestit, viola
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding conducting
A treat for violists: This recording stems from Antoine Tamestit's longstanding collaboration with his recital partner, composer and clarinetist, Jörg Widmann. This program features Widmann's new Viola Concerto, a works that lets the soloist move freely about the stage, producing fresh orchestral colors within a novel structure. It combines humor, earnestness, ferocity and delicacy with Widmann's unfailing sense of theater, which highlights the work's haunting beauty. BELOW: Tamastit talks about the Viola Concerto by Jörg Widmann, with excerpts from the concerto.

Through the Lens of Time
Francisco Fullana, violin
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Izcaray conducting
David Fung, piano

"Richter’s 'Four Seasons Recomposed' awoke a renewed commitment to my musical approach focused on instinct and emotion," said Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana. "It brought me back to my own beginnings, as 'The Four Seasons' was one of the few cassettes that my family would play in the car when I was a young boy. During the performance, Carlos Izcaray and I found that we both shared the same energetic approach to music making. It became clear that we both loved performing this piece too much not to do so again." BELOW: Francisco Fullana and Carlos Izcaray talk about their recording of Max Richter's 'Four Seasons Recomposed'. Recorded with the CBSO in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Streya
Olivia De Prato, violin

Olivia De Prato, co-founder and first violinist of the Mivos Quartet has recorded music by six composers with whom she has collaborated closely since moving to New York in 2005: Samson Young, Victor Lowrie, Ned Rothenberg, Taylor Brook, Reiko Füting, and Missy Mazzoli. "I would describe each of them as a multifaceted artist – each brings a wide range of artistic abilities and perspectives to their work," De Prato said. "As performers, improvisers, visual artists, and scholars of non-western musical traditions, the composers on this album represent the richly eclectic variety of influences that fascinate me in new music." Three of the works were written in 2016 specifically for the album – Ned Rothenberg’s "Percorso insolito," Victor Lowrie’s "Streya," and Taylor Brook’s "Wane" – while Reiko Futing's "tanz.tanz" (2010) and Samson Young's "Ageha.Tokyo" (2008) have been prominent in De Prato’s solo repertoire. Missy Mazzoli's "Vespers" (2014) is a new version for violin and electronics from the original work written for Victoire.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.
You might also like:
Antoine Tamestit: the Great Voice of the Viola
For the Record, Op. 46: Patricia Kopatchinskaja's 'Deux'; Cypress and Borromeo Quartets
For the Record, Op. 45: Lisa Batiashvili's Visions of Prokofiev; Cellist Kian Soltani

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For the Record, Op. 47: New recordings by Nikolaj Znaider; Antoine Tamestit; Francisco Fullana; Olivia De Prato

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