Korngold, Strauss: Violin Concertos

Pavel Šporcl's two most recent projects have manifested his remarkable stylistic flexibility. Vivaldi's Four Seasons and the crossover CD Gipsy Way with the Roma cimbalom band Romano Stilo earned the violin virtuoso richly deserved enthusiasticresponses on the part of critics and listeners alike. With this new CD, Šporcl returns to classical music. Well, sort of... When listening to Korngold's violin concerto it becomes obvious that the composer had devoted to film music over a long period, yet it may be the composition's directness and figurativeness that have made it so popular among the world's leading violinists. On the other hand, Richard Strauss's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 8, does not appear inconcert programmes and recordings so often. The piece comprises both lyrical and tragic elements, a lucent cantilena, melancholy and elegance, but also abounds in a trickiness that places significant demands on the soloist's technique. Pavel Šporcl with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and its principal conductor Jiří Kout again demonstrates that behind the flamboyant image of a non-conformist violinist donning a bandana or hat lies a technically superb musician who definitely deserves attention primarily due to his immaculate musical performance.