Description
Hans Gal (1890-1987)
Violin Concerto, opus 39 (1932)
Triptych for Orchestra, opus 100 (1970)
Concertino for Violin and Strings, opus 52 (1939)
Northern Sinfonia
Annette-Barbara Vogel- violin
Recorded September 7-9, 20-21 2009, Hall 1, The Sage, Gateshead
Produced, engineered and edited by Simon Fox-Gal
Released June, 2010
Avie Records (AV 2146)
For more details, please go to the Bobby and Hans home page.
Avie continues to champion the works of Hans Gál with the label’s first foray into the “continental Briton’s” orchestral oeuvre. The album of three premiere recordings is framed by two works for violin and orchestra, both from the 1930s but written under entirely contrasting circumstances. When he wrote the Violin Concerto in 1931-32, Gál was at the height of his career and enjoying widespread recognition. By the time the Concertino was composed in 1939, his life had been turned upside down by the catastrophic Nazi occupation of Germany and later Austria, forcing Gál and his family to flee to Britain in 1938. Despite this life-altering situation, Gál’s musical language remained remarkably steadfast – optimistic and true to his tonal core; the differences between the Concerto and the Concertino are essentially a matter of scale, not of style. Triptych stems from 1970 and was composed in less than a month, an astonishing burst of creative energy for one in his 80th year. A fitting testimony to Gál’s life and outlook, the work’s finale is exuberant, virtuosic and totally life-affirming.
Gramophone Magazine on Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych “This superb new disc…Woods directs a highly polished account but the orchestral playing throughout is most assured. Avie’s sound is excellent but it is the music that compels attention. Strongly recommended.”
Robert C. Reiley, Catholic News Agency on Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych– “Vogel’s playing is superlative, obviously a labor of love, as is the dedicated performance of the Northern Sinfonia, under conductor Kenneth Woods. It is a measure of the damage the Nazis did that this work was not heard after 1933 until 2004. It is, I suppose, easy to imagine how music this lovely and civilized was first suppressed and then overlooked in the ideological age of the 20th century. How wonderful that Avie has revived it. The Concertino is just as delicious as the Concerto, and the Triptych from 1970 shows that Gál never lost his bearings. As you can tell, this is one of my favorite discoveries of the year.”
Amazon.com on Gal Triptych and Violin Concerto
Classical Music Magazine- RECORDING OF THE FORTNIGHT, Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych
ClassicalSource on Hans Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych– “Such transparent and highly-crafted scores are given superbly prepared performances… playing here is first-class, so too the quick-witted response of Northern Sinfonia under Kenneth Woods.”
Classical CD Reviews on Hans Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych– “The performances and the recording are of a consistently high standard. The Northern Sinfonia …… are probably better than anything he ever heard in this country. But most importantly, both orchestra and conductor Kenneth Woods are sensitive to the lightness of the textures and always elegantly balance the soloist.”
The Strad on Hans Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych– “committed performances… revels in the honesty of this music….perceptively fluid..The symphonic-scale Triptych for orchestra dates from 1970, but is written in a style that seems unchanged from the time of Mahler and Korngold, whose music the pieces resemble at times. The Sage Gateshead recording is warm and supportive.”
MusicWeb International on Gal Triptych and Violin Concerti– “It has a serious sense of purpose without dourness. It has harmonic variety without abstruseness. It has rhythmic vitality without being overly complex. It has an immediate impact but is worthy of greater study. The presentation is exemplary with photos and examples of Gál’s neat manuscript work and wonderful performances. If from my descriptions the music seems to have an appeal then search out this CD out because if successful then I suspect more Gál might appear in the next few years.”
The Daily Mail on Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych– “New CD Release of the Week: Beautifully performed”
FANFARE Magazine on Gal Violin Concerto and Triptych– “Woods phrases with distinction, and aims for clarity in Gál’s contrapuntal textures… plus the kind of open-hearted warmth this soaring music requires to make its case.”
Musical Pointers on Hans Gal Violin Concerti and Triptych– “A splendid CD which should give pleasure and satisfaction to collectors and which deserves to feature on radio programmes everywhere.”
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