Bartók: Works for Violin and Piano, Vol. 1 James Ehnes & Andrew Armstrong

• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): Violin Rhapsody No. 1, BB 94a, Sz. 87:
• 1Bartók: Violin Rhapsody No. 1, BB 94a, Sz. 87: I. Lassu. Moderato04:31
• 2Bartók: Violin Rhapsody No. 1, BB 94a, Sz. 87: II. Friss. Allegretto moderato05:55
• 3Bartók: Violin Rhapsody No. 1, BB 94a, Sz. 87: II. Friss. Allegretto moderato (With Alternative Ending)05:11
• Violin Sonata No. 2, BB 85, Sz. 76:
• 4Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 2, BB 85, Sz. 76: I. Molto moderato08:30
• 5Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 2, BB 85, Sz. 76: II. Allegretto11:37
• Violin Rhapsody No. 2, BB 96a, Sz. 90:
• 6Bartók: Violin Rhapsody No. 2, BB 96a, Sz. 90: I. Lassu. Moderato04:21
• 7Bartók: Violin Rhapsody No. 2, BB 96a, Sz. 90: II. Friss. Allegro moderato06:13
• Violin Sonata No. 1, BB 84, Sz. 75:
• 8Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 1, BB 84, Sz. 75: I. Allegro appassionato12:25
• 9Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 1, BB 84, Sz. 75: II. Adagio11:23
• 10Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 1, BB 84, Sz. 75: III. Allegro09:47
• Andante in A Major, BB 26b:
• 11Bartók: Andante in A Major, BB 26b04:01
• Total Runtime01:23:54

Info for Bartók: Works for Violin and Piano, Vol. 1

This is the second volume in a series devoted to the works for strings by Béla Bartók, with James Ehnes the featured soloist. Earlier this year, Ehnes recorded the Violin and Viola Concertos (CHAN 10690), which was made Disc of the Month in Gramophone magazine. On this new recording, he turns to the Violin Sonatas and Rhapsodies, complemented by the earliest surviving work by Bartók for violin and piano, an Andante. He is accompanied by the pianist Andrew Armstrong.

Dedicated to the Hungarian violinist Adila d’Arányi, the sonatas for violin and piano were composed in 1921 – 22, around the same time as the highly successful ballet score The Miraculous Mandarin. Of the two works, the Sonata in C sharp minor is the more traditional in terms of its structure, and characterised by a mood that is sometimes exhilarated, sometimes turbulent – but always virtuosic. The finale builds from a series of increasingly wild dances, folk-like in style but entirely expressionistic.

In the Sonata in C major, Bartók removes himself from classical form and traditional tonal practice, calling on the violinist to distance himself from the romantic manner of playing. At several points, for example, the violin is played without vibrato, producing an ethereally cool and distant sound. The improvisatory character is strong throughout, as the work repeatedly alternates between the quiet and thoughtful, and the stormy and strident. The ending, in contrast to the earlier sonata, is understated, emotional, and expressive.

Bartók’s two rhapsodies for piano and violin, dedicated respectively to Joseph Szigeti and Zoltán Székely, are steeped in the tradition of Hungarian folk music. Exuberant and infectious, the works are heavily inspired by the csárdás, the national dance of Hungary, and display the traditional pairing of lassú (slow) and friss (lively) movements.

“... This beautifully recorded disc provides us with all the mature works for Bartók composed for violin and piano. They are performances of outstanding musical insight and technical brilliance” (Erik Levi, BBC Music)

“The rapport between the BBC Philharmonic and its conductor laureate Gianandrea Noseda is amply illustrated, with James Ehnes a technically flawless soloist" (Michael Kennedy, The Telegraph)

James Ehnes, violin
Andrew Armstrong, piano

James Ehnes
Known for his virtuosity and probing musicianship, violinist James Ehnes has performed in over 35 countries on five continents, appearing regularly in the world’s great concert halls and with many of the most celebrated orchestras and conductors.

In the 2016-2017 season James continues his cross-Canada recital tour in celebration of his 40th birthday, performs the complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas in Stresa, Montreux, Los Angeles, Liverpool, and Amsterdam, and joins the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on a tour of China and the National Arts Centre Orchestra on a tour of Eastern Canada. James also holds artist residencies with the Melbourne Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and the Scotia Festival, undertakes two tours with the Ehnes Quartet, and leads the winter and summer festivals of the Seattle Chamber Music Society, where he is the Artistic Director.

New and upcoming CD releases include a disc of works by Debussy, Respighi, Elgar and Sibelius as well as a recording of Beethoven’s Sonatas Nos. 6 and 9 with pianist Andrew Armstrong, the Sibelius and Schubert “Death and the Maiden” quartets with the Ehnes Quartet, and the complete works of Beethoven for violin and orchestra with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Andrew Manze. His recordings have been honored with many international awards and prizes, including a GRAMMY, a Gramophone, and 11 JUNO Awards.

James Ehnes was born in 1976 in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. He began violin studies at the age of four, and at age nine became a protégé of the noted Canadian violinist Francis Chaplin. He studied with Sally Thomas at the Meadowmount School of Music and from 1993 to 1997 at The Juilliard School, winning the Peter Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Music upon his graduation. Mr. Ehnes first gained national recognition in 1987 as winner of the Grand Prize in Strings at the Canadian Music Competition. The following year he won the First Prize in Strings at the Canadian Music Festival, the youngest musician ever to do so. At age 13, he made his major orchestral solo debut with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.

He has won numerous awards and prizes, including the first-ever Ivan Galamian Memorial Award, the Canada Council for the Arts’ Virginia Parker Prize, and a 2005 Avery Fisher Career Grant. James has received honorary doctorates from Brandon University and the University of British Columbia and in 2007 he became the youngest person ever elected as a Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada. In 2010 the Governor General of Canada appointed James a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2013 he was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, limited to a select group of 300 living distinguished musicians.

James Ehnes plays the "Marsick" Stradivarius of 1715. He currently lives in Bradenton, Florida with his family.

Booklet for Bartók: Works for Violin and Piano, Vol. 1