Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto, Op. 47 & Humoresques, Opp. 87 & 89 - RES10277

Jean Sibelius: Violin Concerto, Op. 47 & Humoresques, Opp. 87 & 89

Regular price £12.99
Total playing time [63:16]

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Fenella Humphreys (violin)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
George Vass (conductor)


Already hailed as his country’s foremost composer, Sibelius completed what was to be his only concerto in early 1904, and its spellbinding and instantly recognisable opening can surely be counted amongst the most iconic of any.

A virtuosic violinist himself, Sibelius beautifully evokes Finland’s natural landscape and ancient folklore, which continues through Sibelius’s 1917 work for violin and orchestra – the Six Humoresques – demanding a considerable level of technique.

Violinist Fenella Humphreys joins with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor George Vass to present these formidable works with a world premiere recording of a new work for violin and orchestra by the American composer Nors S. Josephson – Celestial Voyage.

Album Booklet (PDF)

Tracklist

Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47
1. Allegro moderato
2. Adagio di molto
3. Allegro, ma non tanto

Humoresques, Op. 87
4. Humoresque I: Commodo
5. Humoresque II: Allegro assai

Humoresques, Op. 89
6. Humoresque III: Alla gavotta
7. Humoresque IV: Andantino
8. Humoresque V: Commodo
9. Humoresque VI: Allegro

Nors S. Josephson (b. 1942)
10. Celestial Voyage

'Fenella Humphreys wears her virtuosity lightly. She’s one of those very ‘contained’ players whose musicality looks you straight in the eye but never ever draws attention to itself.'

- Gramophone

'Humphreys’s playing is a genuine revelation in the way it brings out the music’s dark and introspective qualities, with no shortage of qualities, with no shortage of technical panache meanwhile [… She] offers searching and beautifully focused lyrical expression, laser-like accuracy of tuning (in the double-stopped passages remarkably so), plus the wonderful tawny-brown sonority of her choice of Guarneri violin with its gorgeous lower register.'
BBC Music Magazine

'Fenella Humphreys wears her virtuosity lightly. She’s one of those very ‘contained’ players whose musicality looks you straight in the eye but never ever draws attention to itself.'
Gramophone

'These are thrilling performances in demonstration sound quality. This is a perfect marriage between soloist, conductor and orchestra. The synergy between violinist and conductor is palpable, and the orchestral playing is of the highest order. As for Fenella Humphreys, she has this music in her blood.'
MusicWeb International (Recommended)

'[...] Humphreys is almost operatically vocal in the resourcefulness of her fabulous Guarneri instrument, poignant and pure at the top, throbbingly throaty in the lower reaches [...] Her virtuosity is ever-present but understated in the work's many cadenzas, salient notes deftly picked out, multiple-stopping sounding as though the entire string section is assisting.'
Midlands Music Reviews

'[...] Humphreys and the warmly considerate collaborators within the BBC NOW bring considerable finesse to these delightful works'
Wales Arts Review

'The ethereal opening of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto is well-managed, the balance between Fenella Humphreys and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is equally judicious (woodwinds carry effortlessly) – courtesy of engineer Dave Rowell (Jan & Feb last year, BBC Hoddinott Hall) – the music simmering with promise under George Vass’s direction.'
Colin's Column

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Credits
© 2021 Resonus Limited
Ⓟ 2021 BBC / Nova Music Trust Limited
The BBC word mark and logo are trade marks of the British
Broadcasting Corporation and used under licence.
BBC Logo © 2007 BBC
Catalogue No. RES10277
Producer & editor: Adam Binks
Engineer: Dave Rowell
Executive Producer: Edward Clark
EAN: 5060262793053
Cover photograph: Aurora borealis northern lights over the Gulf of Finland by Smelov (shutterstock.com)
Release date: 2 April 2021