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Track(s) taken from CDA68005

Adagio symphonique in B major, Op 20

composer
April 1901; dedicated to Joseph Debroux

Philippe Graffin (violin), Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
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Recording details: July 2013
Muziekgebouw Frits Philips Eindhoven, Netherlands
Produced by Rachel Smith
Engineered by Ben Connellan
Release date: January 2015
Total duration: 11 minutes 53 seconds
 

Reviews

‘Strongly tonal and lyrical, Jongen's chief influences seem to be Richard Strauss and César Franck … the Fantasia in E major has a gorgeous honeyed melody as its main subject. A better title might have given it wider currency. The more amorphous Adagio symphonique from three years later comes from the same stable, with the soloist flying high over a rich orchestral texture. It is this characteristic that is most evident in the three movements of the Violin Concerto’ (Gramophone)

‘Volume 18 of Hyperion's series of little-known violin concertos of the Romantic era. This one showcases the music of Joseph Jongen, a Belgian composer much admired in his day for his orchestral and chamber works. On this new album violin virtuoso Philippe Graffin collaborates with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic and conductor Martyn Brabbins in Jongen’s Violin Concerto, one of the composer’s first substantial works. David [Mellor] describes it as "a lovely violin concerto which ought to be rather better known than it is’ (Classic FM)

‘Philippe Graffin is a very stylish violinist who does full justice to these scores. The same can be said for the orchestra and Martyn Brabbins’ (American Record Guide)

‘Graffin’s tonal transparency, ear-ringing intonation and phrasal intuitiveness … are a constant source of pleasure, captured in alluringly tangible sound’ (The Strad)» More

‘The Fantasie in E Major (1898) by Jongen finds an admirable lyricism in this performance by Philippe Graffin, whose 1730 Busano instrument lights up its delicate, relatively uncomplicated colors’ (Audiophile Audition, USA)» More

‘Technically and artistically Philippe Graffin once again proves first-class, his slender yet eloquent tone being altogether appropriate. Recorded sound is admirable, though a little drier than the label's very finest’ (Limelight, Australia)» More

‘All in all, then, this is an attractive disc which will certainly not disappoint’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘Graffin is, as usual, superb in every respect … with a luscious tone, expansive and nuanced phrasing, and sensitivity and passion to burn. He is given terrific support by Brabbins and the orchestra’ (The Whole Note, Canada)» More

«Philippe Graffin et Martyn Brabbins y mettent partout beaucoup de cœur et de couleurs» (Diapason, France)» More

«Philippe Graffin est l'indispensable interprète des raretés … bien que les musiques qu'il joue soient extrêmement expressives, il les aborde sans appuyer le son, toujours élégant, toujours délié» (Classica, France)» More
PERFORMANCE
RECORDING
The Violin Concerto was one of Jongen’s first substantial works. During his stay in Paris in he composed the Adagio symphonique in B major, Op 20, completing it in April 1901 (the manuscript is dated) and dedicating it to his friend Joseph Debroux (1866–1929), with whom he produced some editions of little-known eighteenth-century music. Beginning with a haunting horn figure that comes to dominate much of the work, the violin soloist plays high-lying lyrical lines over quite a rich orchestral texture. Towards the end, the soloist engages in a brief but lovely dialogue with solo oboe and flute before the music turns to harp-drenched chords of B major, with hints of the opening theme beneath.

from notes by Nigel Simeone © 2015

Avec le Concerto pour violon, Jongen composa l’une de ses premières œuvres substantielles. À Paris, il écrivit l’Adagio symphonique en si majeur, op.20, achevé en avril 1901 (le manuscrit est daté) et dédié à son ami Joseph Debroux (1866–1929), avec qui il produisit des éditions de musiques méconnues du XVIIIe siècle. Partant sur une lancinante figure de cor qui finit par dominer une large part de l’œuvre, le violoniste solo exécute des lignes vivement lyriques par-dessus une richissime texture orchestrale. Vers la fin, le soliste se lance dans un court mais charmant dialogue avec un hautbois et une flûte, puis la musique passe à des accords de si majeur aux accents harpés avec de sous-jacentes allusions au thème inaugural.

extrait des notes rédigées par Nigel Simeone © 2015
Français: Hypérion

Das Violinkonzert war eines von Jongens ersten großangelegten Werken. Während seines Paris-Aufenthalts komponierte er das Adagio symphonique in H-Dur, op. 20, welches er im April 1901 (das Manuskript ist datiert) fertigstellte und seinem Freund Joseph Debroux (1866–1929) widmete, mit dem er mehrere Editionen kaum bekannter Werke des 18. Jahrhunderts angefertigt hatte. Das Stück beginnt mit einer eindringlichen Horn-Figur, die dann große Teile des Werks dominiert; die Solovioline spielt hochliegende lyrische Passagen über einem üppigen Orchestersatz. Gegen Ende findet ein sehr schönes, wenn auch kurzes Gespräch zwischen dem Soloinstrument sowie Solo-Oboe und Flöte statt, bevor die Musik sich Harfen-durchtränkten H-Dur-Akkorden zuwendet, die unter der Oberfläche auf das Anfangsthema hinweisen.

aus dem Begleittext von Nigel Simeone © 2015
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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