Violin Concertos by Johannes Brahms; Amanda Maier; Julius Rontgen

This release brings together three violin concertos by three close friends -- Johannes Brahms, Julius Rontgen, and his wife, Amanda Maier. Rontgen and Maier were both talented violinists. The couple performed together, and even composed together.

Brahms would visit the Rontgen home when in town. And Brahms and Rontgen gave public concerts together in Amsterdam. Brahms may have influenced his younger friends, but each composer has their own voice.

The  Gewandhaus Orchestra premiered Amanda Maier's violin concerto, with the composer as soloist. Or rather, they premiered the first movement. Maier mentions a second and third movement in her surviving papers. But only the first was finished. Still, it's a fine work, lasting almost 18 minutes.

Brahms may have inspired some of Maier's orchestral gestures. But her solo violin writing is all hers. This is a technical tour-de-force that never sounds forced. Maier's lyrical gifts keep the concerto flowing from start to finish.

Brahms' concerto premiered in 1879, Maier's in 1876. While these two works are contemporaneous, Rontgen's isn't. His concerto dates from 1931 and looks back with a certain amount of nostalgia. While it evokes the world of Brahms, some anachronisms give it away. Most telling are the harmonies, which are more in line with Hindemith than Brahms.

Cecilia Zilliacus is a wonderful soloist. She plays with a clean, singing tone that suits these works so well. Estonian conductor Kristiina Poska makes a perfect partner. Between the two they create some mostly magical performances.

I say "mostly" because the orchestras are the weak link. The Vasteras Sinfonietta plays well. But they have a thin sound that's a little pinched in the upper register. Some of those issues may be with the recording.

The Malmo Symphony Orchestra has a fuller, more polished sound. But they also had some intonation problems -- and those have nothing to do with the recording.

Bottom line: don't get this for the Brahms. Do get this release for the Rontgen, and more especially for the Maier. It's worth it.

Violin Concertos by Johannes Brahms; Amanda Maier; Julius Rontgen

Cecilia Zilliacus, violin
Malmo Symphony Orchestra; Vasteras Sinfonietta; Kristiina Poska, conductor
dB Productions dbCD 202