Ernö von Dohnányi,
unlike his contemporaneous countrymen
Kodály and Bartók, held
firmly to the romantic lyricism that
pervaded German music in the nineteenth
century, and although he lived well
into the twentieth, he never forsook
his penchant for the lush orchestrations
and sweeping melodies that he learned
while studying in Germany. A bit of
a wandering minstrel, Dohnányi
lived all over the place, finally
settling in the United States where
his reputation was seeing a bit of
a cleansing at the time of his death.
Admired by Brahms as a young man,
he never really gave up the nineteenth
century, in spite of his being surrounded
by the tumultuous upheaval in music
that came after the Second World War.
These two splendid
violin concertos are undeservedly
neglected on contemporary concert
programs, and the saints are to be
praised that Michael Ludwig has stepped
up to give us such fine and compelling
performances. The first concerto,
dating from 1915 opens with a lengthy
first movement, cast in three sections,
first breathlessly dramatic, then
calmly lyrical and ending with a large
flourish. The achingly beautiful second
movement is worth the ticket price
with its serene pace and its gorgeous
melodies. One is reminded a bit here
of the music of Korngold. A flashy
vivace folds into a finale
that is similar in style to the opening
movement.
Mr. Ludwig has a
rich yet very clear tone. He is quite
facile in the virtuosic demands of
the Vivace, and is able to
produce a warm and tender cantabile
in the stunning second movement.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
is ably and nobly led by JoAnn Falletta
who coaxes a vibrant and sonorous
tone from the strings, and who keeps
the winds and brass in fine balance.
The result is a thrilling wall of
sound where called for with no expense
spared for the careful nuance of detail.
The second concerto
begins a bit more aggressively than
the first, but it is not long before
its opening stridency melts into a
film-score lushness that would have
made Jack Warner proud. Although similar
in structure to the first concerto,
Dohnányi shuffles the cards
a bit, moving the poignant slow movement
to third position and tossing off
the flashy fast movement in less than
four minutes. It all ends with a triumphant
finale.
Again, Ludwig and
Falletta are in their elements, and
it is very clear that all concerned
are reveling in this stirring music.
One can hope that more soloists will
add either of these pieces to their
touring repertoire. It would be fun
to hear what James Ehnes or Gil Shaham
might have to say about such music.
Michael Ludwig is indeed a force to
be reckoned with however, and we can
hope to hear more from him, especially
if he continues to plumb such fine
and underrepresented music as this
in the future.
Kevin Sutton
Michael Ludwig (violin) 
