Alexander Markov, Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach, Markus Huber

Vieuxtemps transformed the technique and aesthetic of violin playing in the 19th century, and as a virtuoso exponent and composer he was considered a worthy successor to Paganini. His works for violin and orchestra illustrate two notable features – a liking for variation form and the fusion of emotional density with virtuosic flair. These can be heard in the impressive Variations on a Theme from Beethoven’s Romance no.1 and his Fantasie in E major ‘La Sentimentale’, one of his very greatest concert fantasies, where the music is influenced by bel canto. All of the works on this album were discovered after the composer’s death apart from the the unfinished Violin Concerto no.8 – one of Vieuxtemps’s last compositions and dedicated to his most illustrious pupil, Eugène Ysaÿe.

This new release features an all-world premiere programme. The scores and manuscripts used were retained by the Vieuxtemps family.

The seven violin concertos were recorded in late-1999 to early 2000s by soloist Misha Keylin, and were received with critical acclaim. The Penguin Guide gave three stars to Concertos nos. 1 and 4 (8554506): ‘the solo timbre in the E major work is sweet and full, and he plays the dazzling lightweight finale with charm as well as sparkle. This is excellent coupling, very well recorded, and both accompanying groups, Czech and Dutch respectively, are very supportive indeed.’

Alexander Markov has been hailed as one of the world’s most captivating and versatile musicians, and has been highly praised by Yehudi Menuhin. He is particularly known for his interpretations of 19th-century Romantic virtuoso repertoire, with his performances of Paganini’s 24 Caprices reaching over 11 million views on YouTube. Markov is also featured in the internationally acclaimed documentary The Art of Violin directed by Bruno Monsaingeon. Markov made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of 16 and has appeared with renowned orchestras and conductors around the world, including Lorin Maazel and Charles Dutoit.

Alexander Markov is the son of the great violinist Albert Markov. He has composed numerous rock/classical works featuring a unique ‘gold’ electric violin, with a vision to bridging the gap between rock and classical audiences closer.

Markus Huber has served as principal conductor of the Collegium Instrumentale Chemnitz (from 1999) and the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra (2003), as well as principal guest conductor of the Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra (2002 to 2007) and general music director of the Theater Pforzheim (2008 to 2019). He is a permanent guest conductor with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and Johann Strauss Ensemble, and has led orchestras across Germany, the US, Finland and Asia. He has been chief conductor of the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach since 2019.