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Track(s) taken from CDA67441/2

Scènes de la csárda No 8 'Azt mondják', Op 60

composer
1896

Hagai Shaham (violin), Arnon Erez (piano)
Recording details: April 1998
Jerusalem Music Centre, Israel
Produced by Eric Wen
Engineered by Vadim Beili
Release date: March 2004
Total duration: 10 minutes 20 seconds
 

Reviews

‘If ever there were a case of 'the singer, not the song' it's here with these Scènes de la csárda, attractive music played with the sort of heart-tugging abandon that many of us only know from old 78s. A happy tale from start to finish, kitsch of the highest order served with style and panache by Shaham and his excellent pianist Arnon Erez. With comprehensive annotation by Amnon Shaham and first rate production by Eric Wen (a fine violinist and teacher) this seems set to become a benchmark recording’ (Gramophone)

‘It's music that needs passionate advocacy if it's not to sound trite, and Hagai Shaham, who's already made an outstanding disc of two of Hubay's Violin Concertos, has it in his soul’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Hagai Shaham has tremendous flair, extraordinary technical facility, and an organic musical sense that makes it difficult to stop listening’ (American Record Guide)

‘The quality and commitment of the playing, beautifully recorded, gives considerable if unchallenging pleasure’ (The Strad)

‘Hagai Shaham's achievement here is heroic, and a monument to violin playing … if you are a violin sort of person, and the repertoire appeals, then buy these discs with confidence, as a tribute to a unique act of devotion to the cause by Shaham and Erez’ (Fanfare, USA)

Scènes de la csárda could certainly be one of the records of the year’ (Classical Source)

«Voici sans doute le plus bel hommage rendu au père fondateur de l'école hongroise de violon … un répertoire rare, servi de magistrale façon» (Diapason, France)
The opening melody of No 8 serves as the modern national anthem of Slovakia (‘Lightning flashes over Tatra’) and may not be of Hungarian origin. After a short prelude the violin plays the anthem in its lowest register. The melody is treated in a fantasy style with frequent sudden modulations. The quicker tune also has a Slovak counterpart (in the major mode). After two variations on this tune the first melody reappears. Thereafter, the piano introduces a symmetrical jolly csárdas dance in the major key. The eighteenth-century words read: ‘Come in, my rose, come in’. This provides the material for the variations of the final section, which ends with a coda.

from notes by Amnon Shaham © 2004

La mélodie d'ouverture de cette scène no 8, «À ce qu’ils disent» sert d’hymne national à la Slovaquie (Éclairs sur Tatra) et n’est peut-être pas d’origine hongroise. Après un bref prélude, le violon joue l’hymne dans son registre le plus bas. La mélodie est traitée à la manière d’une fantaisie, avec de fréquentes modulations soudaines. L’air, plus rapide, possède aussi une contrepartie slovaque (dans le mode majeur). Après deux variations sur ce thème, la première mélodie réapparaît. Le piano introduit ensuite une danse csárdas symétrique et joyeuse en do majeur. Les paroles du dix-huitième siècle disent: «Entre, ma rose, entre». C’est sur ce thème sue s’appuient les variations de la section finale qui se termine sur une coda.

extrait des notes rédigées par Amnon Shaham © 2004
Français: Marie Luccheta

Die Anfangsmelodie von Nr. 8 ist heute die Nationalhymne der Slowakei („Es blitzt über der Tatra“) und ist möglicherweise nicht ungarischen Ursprungs. Nach einem kurzen Vorspiel erklingt die Hymne im tiefen Register der Violine. Die Melodie wird wie eine Fantasie behandelt, wobei mehrere plötzliche Modulationen stattfinden. Die schnellere Melodie hat ebenfalls ein slowakisches Pendant (in Dur). Nach zwei Variationen über diese Melodie kehrt die Anfangsmelodie zurück. Danach stellt das Klavier einen fröhlichen, symmetrischen Csárdas-Tanz vor. Der Text aus dem 18. Jahrhundert lautet: „Komm herein, meine Rose, komm herein“. Es ist dies das Material für die Variationen des Schlussteils, der mit einer Coda endet.

aus dem Begleittext von Amnon Shaham © 2004
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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