Adams & Korngold - Violin Concertos

The Guardian 80

Gringolts/Copenhagen Phil/Rouvali/Salemkour
(Orchid Classics)

Violinist Ilya Gringolts brings together enduring American concertos from the two halves of the 20th century. John Adams says he knew that before he wrote a violin concerto he would have to “solve the issue of melody”, never previously a driving force for him. Whether his 1993 work entirely succeeds on that front is arguable – fast or slow, the violin’s relentless orations don’t seem to expect to arrive anywhere, and seem more like a device to create motion than melody. Still, for a work co-commissioned by the New York City Ballet, that focus on movement and momentum seems apt. It’s played with authority and spark by Gringolts, and Santtu-Matias Rouvali’s colourful orchestra flags only in a brief passage of the third movement. Korngold’s 1947 concerto – this one conducted by Julien Salemkour – is an even better showcase for Grigolts, whose strikingly expansive lyricism keeps schmaltz at bay.