Brahms & Goldmark: Violin Concertos

...Ning once again proves himself to be one of the world's finest violinists.

Colour and eloquence pour out of the piano, while clarity and beauty of tone abound. Florence Price's Fantasie Nègre No. 2 storms the barns and the selection of Amy Beach pieces displays a personal voice of great conviction, the deep lyricism of 'Dreaming' proving why it was so popular in her day. Heroines indeed.

Gentle, understated playing reveals the lyrical strengths of two great concertos.

Ning Feng displays dazzling virtuosity in both concertos alongside remarkable emotional depth. His interplay with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, conducted by Antony Hermus, is audibly intimate. His rapport with the orchestra is, indeed, something rather special... And so Ning Feng’s calculation has paid off one hundred per cent: he has drawn listeners in with the famous Brahms Concerto and then profoundly surprised them with Karl Goldmark’s little-known one –not without the risk of provoking a sudden, overwhelming coup de foudre.

Great recordings of the Brahms Violin Concerto come along so rarely that you blink and wonder: can it really be so? But several hearings of Ning Feng’s masterly, inspired interpretation have simply confirmed its eminence.

Of course, a concerto is a collaboration. The understanding between soloist and Dutch conductor Antony Hermus is palpable and the Adagio begins with an outstanding oboe solo (uncredited, but an email to the orchestra confirmed my hunch that it was principal oboist Michaela Kuntz).

In the first movement an excellent tutti at a good tempo builds nicely to Ning Feng’s entry and he is authoritative in all the demands Brahms makes on the violinist: his lyrical playing is beautiful and when he has to dig in, his command is total, with sublime double-stopping. The Joachim cadenza itself is full of incident too.

After Kuntz’s wonderful solo, the violinist finds a narrative in the Adagio which he expounds gorgeously, knitting it into an organic whole. The Allegro giocoso, rhythmically secure, sounds just right. Throughout, the woodwind playing is exceptional.

I associate Goldmark’s agreeable but ramshackle concerto with Milstein, who knew how to hold it together. Ning Feng is up there with him, entering sweetly and taking the more peremptory passages in his stride. As in the Brahms, tempos are just right and the solo playing is out of this world, especially in the rapt second theme of the opening movement. He is suitably meditative in the Andante and the finale is rhythmically spot on, with the soloist holding our interest throughout the long cadenza – and impetus maintained to the end. The recording team have done their work well.

Every now and again a recording comes along that is of such supreme quality, that I simply must stop and tell you about it. It deserves a special stand alone article. And this performance by Ning Feng, recorded by Jared Sacks, is such a release.

Both concertos are regularly performed and are mainstays of the concert repertoire. In this recording, they receive superlative performances by Ning Feng (who is just brilliant) and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin.

Ning Feng is on fire in the dramatic segments, playing with passion, power, and utter brilliance. And in the slower, lyrical passages, he plays with sublime tenderness and heart rending emotional gentleness. This is characteristic of his playing: that ability to shift with complete conviction from storming the heavens to a mother's gentle breath. If you've not listened to one of his other recordings, this is an excellent introduction to one of the great masters performing today.

In the Goldmark, he includes the full 5-minute original cadenza which is rarely heard in its entirety. It is simply outstanding. I value this recording of the work among all others simply to have the full cadenza. To have it also with the exceptional playing of this great violinist is to be treasured.

The recording by Jared Sacks is yet a further aural treat. Jared's ability to capture the natural acoustics of the performance hall, and to perfectly balance the sound of soloist with that of a large orchestra so that the two are of a single sonic fabric, is stunning. Every time I hear him do it. And here he has done so to perfection—perhaps the best of any in his catalog. This was recorded October 23-25, 2023 at Konzerthaus, Berlin (Germany), so already much water under the bridge. I will be so sad when Jared finally retires from making these large orchestral recordings (the demands of travel and setup are brutal). When that time comes, his talents will be sorely missed among audiophiles valuing large scale orchestral recordings.

I suggest this performance and recording to you with my highest recommendation. It is a rare treat you should not miss.