The one-time child
prodigy and award winning violinist
Frank Huang is working hard to establish
himself on the international stage.
On this Naxos release in their Laureate
Series Huang is showing his impeccable
credentials in a recital of four violin
fantasies.
Huang seems particularly
well suited to the demands of Schoenberg’s
Phantasy for Violin with Piano Accompaniment
which was composed in 1949 in the composer’s
serial style using twelve tone rows.
It was his final instrumental work.
In contrast the soloist does not seem
so comfortable in the substantial Schubert
Fantasy for Violin and Piano in C
major, from 1827 and seems unable
to offer the necessary warmth and spirit
that this Romantic work requires. The
1839 Fantaisie brillante sur l'opéra
'Otello' de Rossini, from Ernst
is the least impressive composition
on this release though soloist Frank
Huang tries his best to raise the work
from its mediocrity. The final work
is Waxman’s sparkling and ultra-melodic
Carmen Fantasy based on themes
from Carmen. It formed part of
the soundtrack for the 1946 movie Humoresque.
Huang gives a fine if rather cautious
performance of this exuberant work but
his undoubted virtuosity pales when
compared to the leading performers such
as Maxim Vengerov with whom he now has
to compete on an exceedingly cramped
world stage.
The sound quality of
this Naxos release is acceptable but
what comes across is a rather thin violin
tone robbed of some of its timbre. It
would have benefited from a warmer recording
with the player placed further forward.
A fine recital from a talented young
soloist that will provide pleasure but
will undoubtedly appeal more to the
specialist collector of the violin repertoire.
Michael Cookson