James Ehnes & the BBC Philharmonic and Sir Andrew Davis: Stravinsky: Violin Concerto / Apollon musagète / Orchestral Suites
Chandos

The main draws of this all-Stravinsky programme by violinist James Ehnes, conductor Andrew Davis, and the BBC Philharmonic are, understandably, the Russian composer's great Concerto, K 053 in D major and neo-classical ballet Apollon musagète, but it's the inclusion of the lesser-known Scherzo à la russe, Suite No.1, K 045, and Suite No. 2, K 038 that will have Stravinsky devotees excited. Whereas any number of recordings of the two major works are available, those by the others are few and far between, which makes for a release that rewards on multiple counts.

Written for the Polish-born virtuoso Samuel Dushkin (and premiered by him in Berlin in 1932 with the composer conducting), the violin concerto developed out of what Stravinsky deemed his ‘passport' to the work, a chord built from the notes D, E, and A that initiates each of the four movements. The beauty of the composer's writing is evident the moment the chord segues into the robust rhythms of the opening “Toccata,” with Ehnes's on-point voicings ranging from lyrical to sardonic. The violinist's articulation of his part is impeccably executed and does much to amplify the charm of the material. His scampering across the orchestra during the opening moments of the first of two arias is flawlessly handled, as is the interplay between soloist and orchestra; his expression in the graceful second aria is unerring in its lyricism and masterful in its control. The intermittent shriek that punctuates the movement accentuates the sensitivity of his playing all the more. The “Capriccio” returns the concerto to the energized playfulness of the first movement, Ehnes this time riding the cheekiness of the orchestra with effortless poise.

Sequenced in between the two dominant works are the scherzo and the suites, the former up first. Subtitled “Symphonic Version of Work for Jazz Band (1943-44),” the Scherzo à la russe, K 070 (1945) was written as a showpiece for the Paul Whiteman band following Stravinsky's arrival in California. It's a jovial and carefree piece that, despite being only four minutes, has the composer's fingerprints all over it, the brass parts in particular. Initially motivated by the desire to create something his children could play, the suites—orchestrated from piano duets written between 1914 and 1917—are sprinkled with folk elements and various dance styles. Each suite's in four parts, with the movements largely miniatures. The Suite No.1 instantly appeals with a serene andante and follows it with an infectious and no less captivating “Napolitana.” Meanwhile, Stravinsky's appetite for folk dances emerges in the brief “Española” and in the robust “Balalaïka.” The playful tone carries over into the Suite No. 2 and its “Marche,” “Valse” (which could easily pass for an excised passage from Petrushka), and wonky “Polka.”

Scored for string orchestra, Apollon musagète, K 048 (1927-28) is a ballet in two scenes, the first of which, “Naissance d'Apollon,” is a stately prologue in a slow-fast-slow form and the second, “Variation d'Apollon,” a multi-part design of broad scope. The music Stravinsky created for the piece is, as Paul Griffiths writes in liner notes, euphonious, elegant, and suave and feels stylistically worlds removed from his earlier ballets. The tone and character of the work is clearly set in the “Premier Tableau (prologue)” with the strings delivering their parts in smartly calibrated tempi and blending mellifluously. The main theme is given a stately presentation but voiced soothingly too, which only intensifies the seductive quality of the material. A beautifully handled violin solo introduces the “Second Tableau” before the rest of the orchestra steps in to evoke Calliope, Polyhymnia, and Terpsichore, the three muses of epic poetry, song and mime, and dance, respectively. The BBC Philharmonic's strings honour the composer with an exceptional rendering, one that's precise, attentive to detail, and cohesive. Apollon musagète has never sounded more alluring than it does here, whether the section in question is delicate or high-spirited—one listen to the tender “Variation d'Apollon,” rousing “Coda (Apollon et les Muses),” or elegiac “Apothéose” is all the proof needed.

February 2024