György Ligeti
Violin Concerto · Lontano · Atmosphères · San Francisco Polyphony
Benjamin Schmid, violin · Finnish RSO · Hannu Lintu, conductor
Info & buy
Max Reger
Violin Concerto
Chaconne
Benjamin Schmid, violin
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Track listing
4 tracks · 63:43Max Reger
- Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 101 53:31
- 1 I. Allegro moderato 27:07
- 2 II. Largo con gran espressione 12:56
- 3 III. Allegro moderato (ma con spirito) 13:28
- 4 Chaconne for Solo Violin, Op. 117/4 10:12
About this recording
Being "one of the last giants of music" as Hindemith described Reger, his works are still unnecessarily seldom featured in concert programs today. This release invites to listen to a captivating performance of Reger's Violin Concerto, a hugely charming big romantic work with broad sentimental gestures. Also the composer himself felt extremely confident about the work as he wrote: "I know this sounds arrogant, but I believe that this violin concerto will follow in the footsteps of those of Beethoven and Brahms."
The CD winds up with a virtuosic Chaconne for Solo Violin, Op. 117/4, a work inspired by Reger's greatest idol Johann Sebastian Bach.
Known for his exceptionally wide repertoire and a great sense of musicality Benjamin Schmid is one of the most versatile violinists of today. Described as "one of the most valuable of today's golden-age-violinists" (The New York Sun), Schmid has performed with orchestras such as Wiener Philharmoniker, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Gulbenkian Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is also a sought-after jazz violinist. In 2006 the Strad Magazine wrote: "Schmid mesmerises from his very first entry, shaping phrases with a skin-rippling sensitivity to send the spirits soaring. His golden tone, immaculate intonation, faultless technique and total identification with this magical score are truly things of wonder."
Artistic director of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra since 2009, Hannu Lintu has rapidly been creating an international career and is a sought-after conductor. From 2013 onward he will assume the post of chief conductor of the Finnish RSO.
In 2013 Ondine will release Ligeti's Violin Concerto with Benjamin Schmid, this time with the Finnish RSO and Hannu Lintu.
Features
Booklet with liner notes in English, German and Finnish
The artists
Benjamin Schmid
Born in Vienna, Benjamin Schmid made his international breakthrough with a string of competition
successes in 1992, above all the Carl Flesch Competition in London, where he won not only First Prize
but also the Mozart Prize, Beethoven Prize and Audience Prize. Since then, he has performed at major
venues worldwide with distinguished orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Philharmonia
Orchestra in London, the St Petersburg Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam
and the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich under conductors including C. von Dohnányi, V. Gergiev, D.
Zinman and S. Ozawa. His repertoire is exceptionally broad, including such rare violin concertos as
those of Ligeti, Gulda, Korngold, Muthspiel, Szymanowski, Weill, Lutoslawski and Reger in addition to
the core repertoire, and he also has a remarkable skill in jazz improvisation.
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, comprising 97 musicians, is one of Scandinavia's leading symphony orchestras. In autumn 2013, young Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali succeeded Hannu Lintu as new Chief Conductor and continued in his post until 2023.
Hannu Lintu
Hannu Lintu is one of Finland's most sought-after conductors and is rapidly creating a major international career. He has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra 2009-2013, and also Principal Guest Conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin. Before assuming the new role of Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2021, he was the orchestra's Chief Guest Conductor in 2012. Hannu Lintu was previously Chief Conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest conductor with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Finland and was Artistic Director of the orchestra's Summer Sounds festival in 2005. In November 2022, the Gulbenkian Orchestra announced the appointment of Lintu as its next chief conductor.