Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and 4; Sonata, Op. 1, No. 4. Francesca Dego, violin; Sir Roger Norrington, Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Chandos CHAN 20234.
By John J. Puccio
You will, of course, recognize the name Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who among his other multitude of great works composed five violin concertos, two of which, Nos. 3 and 4, are represented on this disc. You will also recognize the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, if not from live performances then from their numerous record albums. And you will recognize the name of Sir Roger Norrington, at least from his many period-instrument recordings. You may not, however, be as familiar with the Italian violinist Francesca Dego (b. 1989). She has been playing the violin since the age of four, made her debut at the age of seven, and played at the Sala Verdi of the Milan Conservatory at the age of fifteen. With a boatload of awards, she has been going strong ever since, playing with major orchestras all over the world. Notably, she plays a violin built by Francesco Ruggieri (Cremona 1697) and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù ex-Ricci (Cremona 1734) courtesy of the “Florian Leonhard Fine Violins” of London. By my reckoning, this Mozart disc marks Ms. Dego’s seventh recording with the DG and Chandos labels.
Anyway, Mozart wrote his Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 in 1775 when he was nineteen. He scored it for solo violin, two flutes, two oboes, two horns, and a passel of strings. The familiar, catchy first movement comes off well, with plenty of charm from Ms. Dego. Now, you might expect a rather speedy performance from Maestro Norrington, given his considerable work in the field of historically informed performances, but, in fact, his tempos are well within the norm for most modern-instrument productions. Yet he still keeps up an energetic pace, with life and vigor in abundance. Between Ms. Dego’s elegant, vibrant playing and Norrington’s splendidly spirited accompaniment, they deliver a sparkling performance.
Mozart wrote the Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 also in 1775. He was apparently on a roll at the time but quit after five. He probably figured he was a better pianist than a violinist and went on to write twenty-seven of the latter. Whatever, the Fourth has become one of Mozart’s most recognizable violin concertos, with the first movement having a decidedly military bent, the second quite tuneful, and the third generally cheerful and amusing. Appropriate to the work being the product of a youthful Mozart, Dego and Norrington play it with an ebullient, carefree enthusiasm. Ms. Dego’s tone is always sweet and pure, Maestro Norrington’s direction sure-handed, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra rich and resonant. Everything here is on target.
The final work on the disc is the Piano Sonata, Op. 1, No. 4 for piano and violin, the piano part taken by Francesca Leonardi. Mozart wrote it in 1778, so it’s still a vivaciously youthful work. Dego’s and Leonardi’s vibrancy and sensitivity afford a delightful few minutes, the second (and final) movement particularly affecting.
Producer Ralph Couzens and engineers Ben Connellan (concertos) and Michael Seberch (sonata) recorded the music at the New Auditorium, Royal Concert Hall, RSNO Centre, Glasgow (concertos) and Fazioli Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy (sonata) in August 2021 (concertos) and March 2021 (sonata). The sound they obtained is clear and clean. It doesn’t project much in the way of depth or dimensionality nor much hall ambience, but it it’s certainly as transparent as you could want. It’s about what most listeners probably expect from a good contemporary recording.
JJP
To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:
By John J. Puccio
Anyway, Mozart wrote his Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 in 1775 when he was nineteen. He scored it for solo violin, two flutes, two oboes, two horns, and a passel of strings. The familiar, catchy first movement comes off well, with plenty of charm from Ms. Dego. Now, you might expect a rather speedy performance from Maestro Norrington, given his considerable work in the field of historically informed performances, but, in fact, his tempos are well within the norm for most modern-instrument productions. Yet he still keeps up an energetic pace, with life and vigor in abundance. Between Ms. Dego’s elegant, vibrant playing and Norrington’s splendidly spirited accompaniment, they deliver a sparkling performance.
The final work on the disc is the Piano Sonata, Op. 1, No. 4 for piano and violin, the piano part taken by Francesca Leonardi. Mozart wrote it in 1778, so it’s still a vivaciously youthful work. Dego’s and Leonardi’s vibrancy and sensitivity afford a delightful few minutes, the second (and final) movement particularly affecting.
Producer Ralph Couzens and engineers Ben Connellan (concertos) and Michael Seberch (sonata) recorded the music at the New Auditorium, Royal Concert Hall, RSNO Centre, Glasgow (concertos) and Fazioli Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy (sonata) in August 2021 (concertos) and March 2021 (sonata). The sound they obtained is clear and clean. It doesn’t project much in the way of depth or dimensionality nor much hall ambience, but it it’s certainly as transparent as you could want. It’s about what most listeners probably expect from a good contemporary recording.
JJP
To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:
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