Philip Glass / Igor Stravinsky: Violin Concertos
Sony Classical

Pairing Philip Glass with Igor Stravinsky, two of the twentieth century's most influential composers, makes a lot of sense. Labels such as trailblazer and iconoclast apply in each case, and both created audacious works early in their careers, among them Le Sacre du Printemps and Einstein On the Beach. That they were conceived as stage productions—ballet and opera, respectively—whose places in history are marked for attention-getting premieres also makes the composers natural bedfellows. And with their respective outputs marked by change and evolution, the two are both chameleons of sorts, even if Stravinsky's arguably the greater shape-shifter. Whereas fundamental aspects of Glass's style allow a piece to be instantly identified as his, it's more the artistic sensibility exemplified by his counterpart's works that immediately marks them as Stravinsky creations. More than half a century separates the birth of the concertos, which, despite being very different stylistically, complement one another.

The performances are special for a number of reasons. Glass's Violin Concerto No. 1 has been rarely recorded, which makes this new treatment by conductor Kristjan Järvi, Swiss violinist David Nebel (b. 1996), and the London Symphony Orchestra a welcome addition; while Stravinsky's 1931 Violin Concerto in D major has been recorded many times, the rendering given it by Nebel and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic under Järvi's direction makes the work sound fresh. All involved invigorate the material with infectious high energy, the result an exuberant treatment that can stand up against any other version. Nebel executes his parts with maturity, technical command, and musicality, and performing on an Italian violin by Antonio Stradivari from 1707, the Swiss violinist possesses a gorgeous tone the works showcase splendidly.

His very first large-scale orchestral work, Glass's Violin Concerto was performed for the first time in New York City in 1987. Inspiration for the piece came from his father, Ben Glass, a lover of classical music and proprietor of a record shop that granted his son access to all different kinds of music. By way of tribute, Glass was inspired to write a piece he thought his father would have liked, had he lived long enough to hear it performed. Though the work was originally going to be five movements, it ended up three and, in the elegance of its fast-slow-fast design and arc, is all the better for it. Familiar hallmarks of Glass's style are present, including pulsating rhythms and rapid arpeggios, but the work's distinguished as much by his signature melodicism. Though the high-velocity first movement poses considerable challenges to the soloist, the thrilling third challenges Nebel even more with its furious pace and breathless, Latin American-inflected rhythms; in both instances, said challenges are met remarkably in these high-wire performances. An exquisite coda ends the third on a hush, but it's the haunting second movement that is the concerto's high point, even it is the softest of the three. Such restrained dynamics enable the artistry of Glass's graceful material and the realization of it by the orchestra and soloist to be most fully appreciated. Mention must be made of the superb control Nebel demonstrates in his playing, with the subtle vibrato he applies to the sustained pitches maximizing their impact and emotional resonance.

Composed in 1931 during his Neoclassical period, Stravinsky's Baroque-influenced violin concerto differs from Glass in a number of respects. It features four movements, not three, but more significantly it contrasts the soloist-and-full orchestra design of Glass's with a presentation that gives solo episodes in many places to orchestral musicians, such that dialogues between the violin soloist and bassoon, clarinet, and other instruments appear; as a result, the twenty-minute piece exudes a noticeably intimate and chamber-like quality. In accordance with standard Baroque form, the concerto's fast outer parts frame two song-like movements, and as listeners acquainted with the piece know each movement opens with a D-E-A chord that demands from the violinist an inordinately wide reach. The playful, almost devilish "Toccata" oozes folk charm in its joyful swagger and delightful instrument combinations. In contrast to the opening part's joie de vivre, the two graceful "Aria" movements brood, with the third especially affecting in its luxuriant romantic gestures and the care with which Nebel infuses his playing with emotion. At concerto's end, his dexterity is called upon one final time, in this case for a marvelous "Capriccio" that includes a ravishing duet between the soloist and the orchestra leader.

Having one's work juxtaposed with Stravinsky's would be a daunting prospect for even the most esteemed composer, and admittedly it's his concerto of the two that has the edge for the magnificence of its composition and orchestration; as rewarding as it is, Glass's isn't quite as brilliant. Even so, both works are summarily elevated by the superb performances they're treated to by Järvi, Nebel, and the orchestras on the recording.

June 2020