There is so much of musical interest in Jennifer Higdon's Violin
Concerto that it is difficult to pin down exactly what it was
that endeared it to the 2010 Pulitzer committee. It is a work
of almost continuous invention. It also has impressive momentum
and focus. The sound-world, so far as is possible to generalise,
is American, and like most of her compatriots, Higdon is only
ever a few stylistic steps away from Stravinsky. The music is
reminiscent of John Adams, but with more edge and more drive
than even he can muster. Repeated listening reveals that a wide
array of percussion effects are used to underpin the many diverse
textures. Impressively, though, most of these are very subtle,
adding propulsion and colour to the orchestral textures from
within.
As is probably obvious by now, I'm having a lot of trouble putting
this work into words. Structurally it is in a fairly conventional
concerto form, so that is at least one handle for listeners,
but beyond that innovation is the key feature. The solo part
is not overtly virtuosic, although it is clearly very difficult.
As with the orchestral writing, the solo line is all about exploring
the timbral possibilities of the instrument, and combining them
into a sweeping lyrical line. There is little tonality or modality
here, yet the music always sounds like it is grounded in some
sort of compositional theory, I'm just at a loss to describe
exactly what it is.
The performance is excellent. The work is quite sectional, and
Hilary Hahn (the dedicatee) is never fazed by the successive
gear-shifts and changes in style, dynamic and technique. There
is something quite grounded and earthy about her tone that suits
this music well. But there is plenty of variety in her sound
too, an essential attribute in a work that depends so much on
musical variety for its substance.
The Tchaikovsky too is given a solid and musically substantial
reading. Hahn again plays with a rich, complex tone, but that
doesn't mean that she is unable to sing in the more lyrical
passages. She retains an impressive sense of control over the
music, and there is little recourse to overt rubato or portamento.
I love her vibrato in the Tchaikovsky, it is narrow, fast, and
so subtle that you don't even realise it is there unless you
listen in hard. The slow movement is a little faster than usual,
and a bit more matter-of-fact than you might find elsewhere,
but removing some of the traditional sentimentality does it
the world of good.
I hardly need mention that Hahn's performance is technically
note-perfect, and the same goes for the orchestra. And while
this disc is undoubtedly a feather in the soloist’s cap, it
also joins a long and growing list of top quality recordings
involving Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO. The orchestra take everything
in Higdon's score in their stride, including a range of extended
techniques. Just as impressively, it seems Petrenko resisted
the temptation to devote the whole rehearsal time to the new
work, as the orchestra also puts in an impressive performance
in the Tchaikovsky. Special mention should go to the woodwind,
who are on glowing form, and are magnificently served by the
technicians.
A good recording then on all fronts. Jennifer Higdon is not
yet a household name in the UK, so perhaps America is the target
market for this disc. I notice though that the London Philharmonic
has recently released a recording of her Percussion Concerto,
so it is probably just a matter of time. And we are already
familiar with the talents of Hahn, Petrenko and the RLPO, all
of whom are on fine form here.
Gavin Dixon
Hilary Hahn (violin) 
