For the Record, Op. 266: James Ehnes; Tomás Cotik; Wanchi Huang; Mikhail Pochekin

January 5, 2024, 2:19 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Violinist James Ehnes.

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
James Ehnes, violin
BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis, conducting

Written for the Polish virtuoso Samuel Dushkin, Stravinsky’s four-movement Violin Concerto takes the music of Bach as its inspiration and is built around the notes D, E, and A, which Stravinsky described as his "passport to the concerto" and with which the solo violin part opens each movement. The composer conducted Dushkin in the premiere in Berlin in 1932.

Bach’s Six Cello Suites
Tomás Cotik, violin

Violinist Tomás Cotik performs his own violin transcription of Bach's Six Cello Suites - a set of dance-inspired suites composed around 1717–1723. The recording combines period and modern practices - using a baroque bow but with modern turning, A=440. This album follows Cotik's 2020 release of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas and 2022 release of Telemann’s Twelve Fantasies for Violin Solo. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cotik currently is an Associate Professor of Violin at Portland State University. BELOW: Bach: Cello Suite No. 1, Prélude. Transcription by Tomás Cotik.

Imagining Worlds
Wanchi Huang, violin

Here is an album of modern works for solo violin, featuring works by Pulitzer Prize winner John Corigliano, American composer Adolphus Hailstork, former Guggenheim fellow Jeffrey Mumford, four-time National Endowment for the Arts Composition Fellow Judith Shatin, and Meira Warshauer. BELOW: Preview for the album:

Dvorak Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra
Mikhail Pochekin, violin
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Raiskin conducting

In 2024, the Czech Republic celebrates its "Year of Czech Music." It’s a year filled with the anniversaries of several important composers, among them Antonín Dvorak, who passed away 120 years ago. "I sense a deep humanity in Dvorak's music," said violinist Mikhail Pochekin. "He was a great master of orchestration, and he composed unusually beautiful melodies and harmonies. But at the forefront he always presents honesty and generosity." This album contains all works for violin and orchestra by Dvorak. BELOW: Trailer for the project.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

You might also like:

* * *

Enjoying Violinist.com? Click here to sign up for our free, bi-weekly email newsletter. And if you've already signed up, please invite your friends! Thank you.

Replies

This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.

For the Record, Op. 266: James Ehnes; Tomás Cotik; Wanchi Huang; Mikhail Pochekin

Replies

Subscribe

Laurie's Books