Kraggerud - Mozart Violin Concertos

The Guardian 80

Kraggerud/Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
(Naxos)

Here’s a Naxos recording of standard classical repertoire that would make any full-price label proud. Henning Kraggerud is soloist and director in Mozart’s violin concertos 3, 4 and 5, creating a breezy but neat partnership with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. The performances are light and energetic. Kraggerud’s tone is eloquent and beautiful, marrying richness in the low notes with sweetness at the top, and he plays his own long, sparky cadenzas. The first movement of No 3 goes with an elegant swagger; the third is playful, Kraggerud’s violin tumbling down precipitous slopes. He and the orchestra spin long melodic lines in the slow movements, and the last movement of No 5 is artfully judged – the music keeps returning to the same theme, but Kraggerud manages to create a sense of increasing momentum. This, like the other two finales, has rustic character that’s colourful without sounding like it’s been slapped on with a trowel.