Violinist Gil Shaham has released a new album pairing the violin concertos of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Antonín Dvořák, a shrewd juxtaposition that highlights the connections between the two composers. The recording, with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eric Jacobsen, showcases Shaham's plush tone and laser-focused intonation, enriching the solo line in both works.
Coleridge-Taylor's Concerto Holds Its Own
Coleridge-Taylor's Violin Concerto, which premiered in Connecticut in 1912 (the original parts were lost with the Titanic), is often coupled with lesser-known English works. Here, paired with Dvořák's popular concerto, it more than holds its own. Shaham delivers a sumptuous performance, with the Virginia Symphony providing light and agile accompaniments.
Although Coleridge-Taylor does not directly quote spirituals, the harmonies and melodic contours of the concerto are reminiscent of African folk music, reflecting the composer's Sierra Leonean heritage. Shaham's interpretation is generally more opulent than most rival recordings.
Dvořák's Folk-Inspired Concerto
Dvořák's 1883 Violin Concerto takes a similarly folk-oriented approach, though his idiom is Slavonic. The composer internalized the music of his homeland, incorporating a dumka and a furiant into the breezy finale. Shaham is fluid and imposing, particularly in the lyrical slow movement. The album concludes with an encore: Curtis Stewart's The Famous People, a re-composition of one of Dvořák's Slavonic Dances viewed through the lens of traditional American slave dances, providing a suitably sultry end to the recording.
