Gil Shaham (violin)

The Knights, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Eric Jacobsen, Stéphane Denève

• Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz 112
• Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63

The highly anticipated second instalment in Gil Shaham’s acclaimed 1930s Violin Concertos project. Volume 2 draws on two pillars of the violin concerto repertoire, Bartók and Prokofiev’s second violin concertos.

The 1930s was a turbulent and unsettled decade, the concertos being penned at quite different stages in the composers’ personal lives – Prokofiev was preparing a return to Stalinist Russia after a period of exile, while Bartók on the other hand, given unrest in Europe and the rise of fascism, was preparing to farewell his native Hungary.

These works offer some of the composers’ most lyrical and luminous music. As Claire Delamarche offers in her insightful booklet annotations ‘these two concertos bear the mark of an idealism that could only have emerged from a world in crisis, like flowers blossoming on a battlefield.’

These two concertos have played a role in Gil’s life for over 30 years; he first played the Prokofiev publicly with the Israel Sinfonietta on a tour of the USA when he was just 13 years old, learning the concerto from an edition of the score containing David Oistrakh’s fingerings. Gil adds, ‘‘I have really cherished the conversations I have had discussing these scores with legendary violinists Isaac Stern and Yehudi Menuhin who recounted conversations they had with the Prokofiev and Bartók respectively’’. These experiences combined with the countless collaborations Gil has enjoyed with insightful conductors has him looking at the music differently. Gil has recorded both works before, to much acclaim, but over time he explains, ‘‘things grow in your head, the way you feel about the music changes’’.

Shaham’s ‘trademark lyricism’, ‘effortless and natural playing’ and ‘impeccable technique’ shouldn’t leave the listener wanting on this new recording. The studio environment for the recording of the two concertos also affords Gil the luxury of the intimacy to be effectively shared with the listener, drawing them in from the outset.

In taking this 1930s project from a dream to reality, orchestras internationally have supported Gil’s idea. After several years in the planning the project got underway in 2008/09 season with the Orchestre de Paris, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to name but a few embracing the project and collaborating for performances of multiple concertos from a decade full of riches for the violin.