Customer Reviews

Sibelius: Violin Concertos, Humoresques; Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1

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What a spectacular find! Vilde Frang is a refined and an incredibly polished player. This recording, which I think is her debut, is solid. The album features recordings from Jean Sibelius and Sergei Prokofiev. The standout tracks were the three elusive Sibelius miniatures. Vilde's tone and expressivity was spot on and translated through the recording - something very hard to do being this her first CD. I recommend this album to anyone who appreciates true musicianship and expert violin playing.

This recording is the most sensitive interpretation of the Sibelius and Prokofiev concertos I have ever heard, and I've heard them all. Vilde Frang's control of dynamics and phrasing is unmatched. I especially like her non-vibrato playing in key moments, and her extreme pianissimos. She has a glorious future ahead of her.

The orchestral accompaniment is masterful and exciting, exquisitely marshaled by Thomas Søndergård.

Despite the cover photo, the rising Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang is neither a nymphet nor floating Willy. She has a strong style with more than a touch of willfulness. For a 23-year-old, her expressive liberties are surprising; the current crop of violin wunderkinds tends to be all technique and dazzle. Just for not being faceless, she won my allegiance at the outset of the Sibelius concerto, which is almost free form as she phrases it.

I asked myself, Will this moody, rhapsodic reading hold up and mesmerize me, or will it dissolve into a bundle of tics? Conductor Thomas Sondegaard goes along compliantly as Frang swoons and sways, her pacing very broad. The conductor should have enforced some rhythmic discipline. By the end of the movement it was pretty clear that this was going to be diva night on the fiddle. By comparison, Nadia Salerno-Sonnenberg is the abbess of a convent. Only the finale displays some rhythmic bite, and here Frang's playing is highly capable but without much nuance. She sounds like a very, very good young violinist, not a finished artist.

The same impression holds good in the Prokofiev First, where Sondergaard and the orchestra are routine, and Frang, surrounded by so little inspiration, tries for a diva swoon in the finale but otherwise sounds like a talented, as yet undeveloped artist. The fact that she can carry the whole performance on her shoulders is promising -- she's not going to lose her strong personality. Let's see if EMI's bet on her pays off.