Hilary Hahn pairs Mozart and Vieuxtemps
On the heels of her Grammy-winning “In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores”, the American violinist releases her first orchestral CD in five years with “Mozart 5/Vieuxtemps 4”. Ms. Hahn, who has been dazzling audiences with her artistry since she was a teenager, has been playing these works since she was 10 years old. The Vieuxtemps was the last piece she studied with her first teacher, Klara Berkovich, while the Mozart was the first she studied with Jascha Brodsky. These two concertos naturally have strong personal meaning for the violinist, both of them works she’s played now for about 25 years.
Hahn is well-known for her creative pairings of violin concertos, and says in her conversation with me that this is a very natural thing for her to do. This latest disc is no exception. While the contrast isn’t as startling as when she paired Brahms with Stravinsky, or Sibelius with Schoenberg, the classicism of Mozart and the Romanticism of Vieuxtemps stand in relief. However, the wealth of melodies and the assured structure of both works help make both works appealingly compatible. My audio blog helps to illustrate the differences and similarities of these two composers who were well-acquainted with the violin’s possibilities
Mozart 5, Vieuxtemps 4 – Violin Concertos
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