Search - Edward Elgar, Julian Milford :: Elgar: Sospiri - Music for Violin and Piano

English violin music

klavierspiel | TX, USA | 06/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though Elgar belongs to the class of composers, like Mahler, Bruckner and Sibelius, known to the public today (and a mostly British public, save for the ubiquitous "Pomp and Circumstance" March No. 1) primarily through their large-scale orchestral works, he composed a considerable amount of music in other genres. The majority of the selections on this album date from the earlier stages of Elgar's career, when he taught violin and aspired to a performing career on that instrument. The exception, and the most substantial, though uneven, work on this CD, is the late Violin Sonata, Op. 82. The other repertoire is unambitious in length and variable in quality, the worth of a given piece being generally proportionate to its familiarity. Thus "Salut d'amour" and "Chanson du matin" retain their charm, though "La capricieuse" also shows that Elgar can be surprisingly adept at salon-style froth.Although occasionally drifting sharp in high and loud passages, Lydia Mortkovich generally plays with elegance and sure technique. She and Julian Mitford, her able partner, strike some real sparks in the first two movements of the Violin Sonata. Overall they make persuasive advocates for this generally less familiar side of Elgar's art. It may be noted that the two Chansons, Op. 15, are more frequently recorded in their orchestral versions, so their inclusion in their original medium is something of a find."