The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra / Rudolf Koelman / Jan Willem de Vriend

Violin Concertos 1 & 2

Format: SACD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917234329
Catnr: CC 72343
Release date: 02 October 2009
1 SACD
 
Label
Challenge Classics
UPC
0608917234329
Catalogue number
CC 72343
Release date
02 October 2009

"One of the more enjoyable recent releases of these concertos"

The Strad, 02-2-2010
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
Press
EN
NL
DE

About the album

The programme offered in this CD forms a bridge between the two most popular violin concertos of Paganini and the operas of Rossini. The double bill of Paganini-Rossini opens our ears to Paganini’s operatic style of composing and - one might suggest - improvising techniques as well. The individual movements remind us of virtuosic or lyrical opera arias each with the solo violin replacing the human voice. Melody, melodic invention and virtuosity are the main elements. The orchestra contributes inventive introductions, intermezzos and codas, but when the soloist appears it is restricted to sustaining, underlining and punctuating his or her part. Sometimes it adds some color to the scoring as for example with the famous obbligato bell-ringing in the rondo finale of the second Concerto. A wide range of extensively employed embellishments similar to those used by Rossini in his arias, are employed to show off the virtuoso’s virtuosity often forcing notes as high as possible to regions, where there is virtually no space to place the playing fingers between bow and bridge. Paganini also uses ornamentation, as does Rossini, to enhance the expressive quality of music in a direct bodily way, which is difficult explain verbally. The physical act of tone production is the effect itself. The sequencing reiteration of musical figures ad infinitum correlates with the need to express oneself. So with Paganini as with Rossini there is no empty virtuoso tinkling. Rossini’s melodramma giocoso “Matilde di Shabran” (1821) was composed in such a hurry that the composer had no time to create a new overture but had to reuse one he had written two years ago for “Eduardo e Cristina”. Yet he inserted new wind parts introducing new thematic material in order to foreshadow the Finale I of “Matilde”, thus creating a tight nexus between the overture and the actual piece. There are many connections to Paganini’s style, for instance the tutti-beats at the beginning of both, overture and concertos, in order to attain the attention of a prattling auditorium, the melodic formation as well as the instrumentation namely in the piatti and cassa grande-parts of the first concerto, which obviously have been added later by Paganini.

Een brug van Rossini
Paganini’s twee populairste vioolconcerten worden op dit album verbonden door een ouverture van Rossini. Door deze brug worden onze oren geopend voor de compositiestijl van Paganini: opera-achtig met vele improvisatie-elementen.
De vioolconcerten worden gespeeld door Rudolf Koelman, een Amsterdamse violist. Van 1996 tot 1999 was hij concertmeester bij het Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest in Amsterdam. Hij doceert solo- en concertviool aan de Zürcher Hochschule der Künste in Zwitserland en leidt daar ook zijn kamerorkest ZHdK Strings.

Het Nederlands Symfonieorkest, ook bekend als het Orkest van het Oosten, werd in de jaren ’30 van de 20e eeuw opgericht onder leiding van Klaas de Rook. Het werd in 1947 grotendeels geprofessionaliseerd tot het Twents Philharmonisch Orkest, en in 1954 werd het een volledig professioneel orkest en kreeg het de naam Overijssels Philharmonisch Orkest. Na een gedwongen fusie met het Opera Forum in 1983 is het orkest in 1994 weer gereduceerd en ging het zelfstandig door als het Orkest van het Oosten. Sinds het seizoen van 2006-2007 tot 2018 was de chef-dirigent van het orkest Jan Willem de Vriend, die ook deze opname heeft gedirigeerd.

Das hier eingespielte Programm stellt eine Brücke zwischen den beiden beliebtesten Konzerten Paganinis und den Opern Rossinis her. Die Kadenzen dieser Aufnahme stammen von Carl Flesch (1. Konzert) und Rudolf Koelman (2. Konzert). Jan Willem de Vriend ist u.a. seit 2006 Chefdirigent und Künstlerischer Leiter des Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. Der niederländische Geiger Rudolf Koelman war von 1978 bis 1981 einer der letzten Schüler von Jascha Heifetz in Los Angeles. Bis 1999 war er erster Konzertmeister des 'Royal Concertgebouw Orchester' Amsterdam. Seitdem konzertiert er weltweit als Solist und Kammermusiker und lehrt an der Zürcher Hochschule der Künste.

Artist(s)

Jan Willem de Vriend

Jan Willem de Vriend is the artistic director of Combattimento Consort Amsterdam and since 2006 the chief conductor and artistic director of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. Combattimento Consort Amsterdam devotes itself to the music of about 1600 to 1830. Since its founding in 1982, it has performed virtually throughout the world as well as on many CDs, DVDs and television productions. Since De Vriend was named chief conductor in 2006, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra has become a notable phenomenon on the Netherlands’ musical scene. It has presented semi-scenic performances of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Mendelssohn. There were premieres of works by Offenbach, Say and Mahler. And by substituting historical instruments in the brass section, it has developed its own distinctive...
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Jan Willem de Vriend is the artistic director of Combattimento Consort Amsterdam and since 2006 the chief conductor and artistic director of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra.
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam devotes itself to the music of about 1600 to 1830. Since its founding in 1982, it has performed virtually throughout the world as well as on many CDs, DVDs and television productions.
Since De Vriend was named chief conductor in 2006, the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra has become a notable phenomenon on the Netherlands’ musical scene. It has presented semi-scenic performances of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Mendelssohn. There were premieres of works by Offenbach, Say and Mahler. And by substituting historical instruments in the brass section, it has developed its own distinctive sound in the 18th- and 19th-century repertoire. Recently, the orchestra performed music by Schumann at festivals in Spain. The release of Beethoven’s complete symphonies, conducted by De Vriend, is a big project which starts with the release of this current CD. Also the orchestra's long Mahler tradition is being continued in recordings and tours.
De Vriend has been a guest conductor with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hague Philharmonic and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well as orchestras in Germany, Sweden and Australia. He is often invited to conduct both in the Netherlands and abroad. He has engagements pending, for example, with The Hague Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as well as orchestras in China, Germany, Austria and Italy.

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The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra

The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra is based in Enschede, in the province of Overijssel. Performing at an international level, as evidenced by its highly acclaimed CDs and invitations for international tours, the orchestra is firmly rooted in society. Jan Willem de Vriend has been its artistic director and chief conductor since 2006. He will be succeeded by Ed Spanjaard in 2017. Under De Vriend’s leadership, the orchestra has expanded its repertoire to cover music from four centuries. Its use of period instruments in the Classical repertoire gives the orchestra a distinctive and highly individual character. The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra performs amongst others in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Enschede, Zwolle and Deventer. In addition, it has made successful tours of the United States, Spain and...
more
The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra is based in Enschede, in the province of Overijssel. Performing at an international level, as evidenced by its highly acclaimed CDs and invitations for international tours, the orchestra is firmly rooted in society.
Jan Willem de Vriend has been its artistic director and chief conductor since 2006. He will be succeeded by Ed Spanjaard in 2017. Under De Vriend’s leadership, the orchestra has expanded its repertoire to cover music from four centuries. Its use of period instruments in the Classical repertoire gives the orchestra a distinctive and highly individual character.
The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra performs amongst others in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Enschede, Zwolle and Deventer. In addition, it has made successful tours of the United States, Spain and England and it often works with the Dutch National Touring Opera Company. In its home town Enschede, the orchestra builds on a symphonic tradition of more than 80 years, and it is known as one of the most modern and entrepreneurial orchestras in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra created a number of ensembles, such as a chamber orchestra, the Baroque Academy of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra (BANSO) and various chamber music ensembles. The orchestra’s commitment to expanding its social relevance is also reflected in the large number of projects in which education is a key element.
The orchestra has worked with distinguished conductors, such as its former chief conductor Jaap van Zweden, Vasily Petrenko, Edo de Waart, Claus Peter Flor and Tan Dun. It also has accompanied many celebrated soloists, including Gidon Kremer, Ronald Brautigam, Natalia Gutman, Charlotte Margiono, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Thomas Zehetmair.

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Rudolf Koelman

Dutch violinist Rudolf Koelman regularly performs worldwide as a soloist with numerous internationally renowned orchestras, such as KBS Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, WDR Radio Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and many others. One of Jascha Heifetz’s last pupils (LA, 1978 to 1981) and first leader of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (until 1999), Rudolf Koelman teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and is frequently invited as a juror and guest professor at international violin competitions and master courses around the world. Rudolf Koelman has made numerous TV-, radio- and CD recordings among them a live recording of all 24 Paganini Capricci. In 2010, he performed in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and recorded live both Violin...
more
Dutch violinist Rudolf Koelman regularly performs worldwide as a soloist with numerous internationally renowned orchestras, such as KBS Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, WDR Radio Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and many others.
One of Jascha Heifetz’s last pupils (LA, 1978 to 1981) and first leader of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (until 1999), Rudolf Koelman teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and is frequently invited as a juror and guest professor at international violin competitions and master courses around the world.
Rudolf Koelman has made numerous TV-, radio- and CD recordings among them a live recording of all 24 Paganini Capricci. In 2010, he performed in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and recorded live both Violin Concertos 1 & 2 by Paganini (CC 72343 Challenge Classics). These performances were released on Challenge Records and won the prestigious Edison Award 2010 in The Netherlands.
Rudolf Koelman plays the Stradivari “Ex Woolhouse” 1720.

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Composer(s)

Niccolò Paganini

The legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini was born on October 27th in Genoa. With his groundbreaking techniques and magical stage appearance he shocked the traditional concert life. Paganini's performance marks the emancipation of virtuosity. Especially the transcendental aspect of this virtuosity fit seamlessly with the romantic ideals of Faustian possesion and unrestrained expression. His Caprices op. 1 are the bible for violin performance, just like Chopin's Etudes op. 10 & 25 
more
The legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini was born on October 27th in Genoa. With his groundbreaking techniques and magical stage appearance he shocked the traditional concert life. Paganini's performance marks the emancipation of virtuosity. Especially the transcendental aspect of this virtuosity fit seamlessly with the romantic ideals of Faustian possesion and unrestrained expression. His Caprices op. 1 are the bible for violin performance, just like Chopin's Etudes op. 10 & 25
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Press

One of the more enjoyable recent releases of these concertos
The Strad, 02-2-2010

Play album

Videos

Rudolf Koelman LIVE in Spiegelzaal: Cantabile from Opus 17 of Paganini.

Often bought together with..

Symphonies nos. 7 & 8 (Complete symphonies vol. 3)
Jan Willem de Vriend / The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Symphonies nos. 1 & 5 (Complete symphonies vol.2)
Jan Willem de Vriend / The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Symphonies nos. 4 & 6 (Complete Symphonies vol.1)
Jan Willem de Vriend / The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Symphony no. 1 (Hamburg 1893 version)
Netherlands Symphony Orchestra / Jan Willem de Vriend
Divertimenti
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam
Egmont / Wellingtons Sieg
Orkest van het Oosten / The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra

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