About a month ago I listened to the recording of Hilary Hahn performing the Schoenberg and Sibelius Violin Concertos. This CD is in my top three favorites of hers. I would have to say that the CD of the Bach Violin Concertos is my favorite. Since this listening I have gone back and reread my review of this CD that I posted on New Music Forum on October 4, 2008. I have included the first part of the review below. The complete review can be found here: Hahn Review.
Hilary Hahn - Schoenberg and Sibelius: Violin Concertos
Review by Brian Bice
October 4, 2008
Hilary Hahn’s latest recording is one that is not to be missed. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen joins her on this recording. Ms. Hahn makes a seemingly unlikely pairing of two concertos by two major composers of the early 20th Century. Arnold Schoenberg and Jean Sibelius. They are two of the more diametrically opposed composers from the first half of the 20th Century. However, upon listening to these works and learning more about how these pieces came to be, the pairing may actually be a logical choice.
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was born in Germany, fathered the serialist movement and later immigrated to the United States as the Nazi regime came into power. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was born in Finland, and began his musical life as a concert violinist. While in college he began studying composition. The allure of composing caused him to set aside his violin.
So why put these two composers, much less these compositions on the same recording? (For more of the review click here: Hahn Review)
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