Bruch & Dvořák: Violin Concertos

Julia Fischer has chosen a rare and inspired coupling, the Bruch G minor and Dvorak A minor Violin Concertos. The brilliant and musically insightful German violinist (The New York Times) is joined by the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich and David Zinman. Reviewing Julia Fischers performance of the Dvorak Concerto in London, The Guardian wrote, Dvoraks Violin Concerto, a romantic showpiece too often passed over in favour of Bruch and Mendelssohn, has a piquant slow movement to compete with either. Fischer made sure we heard every note, handing us each bar with absolute technical assurance and in a lustrous, seamless tone. Fischer points out that the two concertos have much in common: Formally they are very similar. Both first movements start with quasi-improvised phrases, and both go into the second movement without a break. The slow movements are structurally very similar each is of heightened importance within the concerto. The concertos were composed approximately a decade apart and both composers sought input from the great Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim. Julia Fischer wished to record the concertos with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich and David Zinman, with whom she has a special relationship. One of my first concerts was with the Tonhalle Zurich and I first played with David Zinman in 2003. He is a very natural musician and very intelligent but in the end he simply makes music. That is a gift. Fischer was artist-in-residence with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich in 2009 2010. The distinctive sound of the orchestra, perfectly suited to the music of Bruch and Dvorak, is enhanced by the acoustic of their 1895 concert hall, where the concertos were recorded.