Mendelssohn & Schumann

Philippe Graffin is de virtuoos van de linkerhand en van de korte, snelle boogstreken in staccato, spiccato en saltato spel. Dit horen we overduidelijk in de door Schumann improvisatorisch opgevatte, grillige Fantasie.

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Philippe Graffin is the virtuoso of the left hand and the short, quick bow strokes in staccato , spiccato and saltato performance. We can hear this clearly in the by Schumann improvisatory conceived , fancyful Fantasy.

Graffins rassiges Spiel ist in beiden Konzerten und in der Fantasie von größtmöglicher Leidenschaft. Auch wenn er in den oberen Lagen funkelt, so sind die dunklen Töne seiner Geige berückend schön.

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Graffins thoroughbred performance in the two concerts and in the Fantasie is of the utmost passion . Even if he sparkles in the upper layers, the dark tones of his violin are enchantingly beautiful.

The Mendelssohn performance by Philippe Graffin sounds more modest and intimate then you hear it often. He also wrote the cadenza in the first movement ......
...... Graffins cadenza is light and strong improvisational.

"The French violinist Philippe Graffin (1964) belongs like his compatriot Renaud Capuçon to the worldtop. Their game certainly has important similarities, but also that of Graffin is individualistic enough to recognize it at a distance; such that, in all of the major violin players is the case. We have thus arrived at the great tradition of violinists as Heifetz, Milstein, Chung, Stern, Oistrakh, Francescatti, Kogan, Menuhin, Erlman and Hirschhorn (and the list is still far from complete) can be called quite variegated. Or of later date Hahn, Kremer, Jansen, Frang, Mullova, Mutter and the afore mentioned Capuçon."
"The playing of Graffin (and in this he finds in conductor Tuomas Rousi a true soulmate) is characterized by beautifully worked dynamic contrasts, a natural sense of melodic development and sublime tone production."
"The recording made by Tom Peeters leaves no wish unfulfilled."

"The programming of Philippe Graffin is always surprisingly remarkable. He is a master in making a logical connection between unknown or forgotten repertoire and "main" repertoire, and also a master in breaking new ground, on this album by introducing a cadenza of his own. He has chosen one of the most recorded 'Violin Concerto in E minor' by Felix Mendelssohn with the cadenza written by himself, and for his other selection included the not often recorded and quite controversial 'Violin Concerto in D minor' together with the 'Fantasy fur Violine und Orchester' both by Robert Schumann."