Hubay: Violin Concertos Nos 3 & 4

'These last two of Hubay’s four violin concertos make a most attractive addition to Hyperion’s emergent series of Romantic violin concertos … The Israeli soloist Hagai Shaham has the advantage of having been taught by one of Hubay’s pupils, Ilona Feher. Not only does he relish the Hungarian inflections in a winningly idiomatic way, he plays with an ethereal purity in the many passages of stratospheric melody. As so often, Martyn Brabbins proves a most sympathetic partner, drawing committed playing from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, helped by beautifully balanced, cleanly focused recording' --Gramophone Magazine

'This third volume in Hyperion's Romantic Violin Concerto series may make you wonder why Hubay's Third Concerto has escaped the attention of virtually every fiddle player from Heifetz to Hahn. If, like me, you're a sucker for lashings of blistering virtuosity, strong, well-contrasted melodic content, and a substantial orchestral contribution, I promise that you will not be disappointed' --BBC Music Magazine

 'Shaham, who has no competition in these two works, plays them with great stylistic authority, providing all the dash the showy but never meretricious parts require' --Fanfare, USA

'Hagai Shaham offers a deftly turned, heartfelt performance … The orchestral contribution is a winning ace' --International Record Review

'glowing, flamboyant renditions' --Classic FM Magazine

Hubay: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2, Etc

“…Hanslip's radiant artistry and phrasal sensitivity is highly seductive. …witness her first entry in the Second Concerto which is shaped with exquisite finesse. Devoted support from Andrew Mogrelia and the Bournemouth SO and well-balanced engineering rounds out a splendid release.” --BBC Music Magazine, November 2009 *****

“Chloë Hanslip's generous sweetness of tone is well displayed here, with good support from the orchestra. She is also more than a match for all the virtuoso fireworks that Hubay throws at his soloist in the vigorous fiddling of the finales and in two of the once very popular Scènes de la Csárda.” --Gramophone Magazine, November 2009

Eugen Huber, born in Budapest in 1858, changed his name to Jenő Hubay when he was 21 in a conscious adoption of Hungarian nationalism. He did indeed do much for Hungarian music, as a violin virtuoso, as a teacher of violinists including Szigeti, and as director of the Budapest Academy from 1919, though by then the late-Romantic, Brahmsian attitudes he had inherited from his own teacher Joachim brought him into sharp conflict with Kodály and especially Bartók. He had also spent a fruitful period working with Vieuxtemps in Brussels.

MP3 320 · 156 MB