For the Record, Op. 267: Frank Peter Zimmermann, Alyssa Wang, Igor Kalnin

January 13, 2024, 9:08 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 Frank Peter Zimmermann. Photo by Irène Zandel/Hänssler Classic.

Stravinsky, Bartok & Martinu: Works for Violin & Orchestra
Frank Peter Zimmermann, violin
Bamberger Symphoniker, Jakub Hruša conducting

Stravinsky, Bartók and Martinu were established international figures when they wrote these works for violin, traveling across Europe as well as the United States. While the Russian-born Stravinsky was experimenting with possibilities of modern violin technique in his concerto, Martinu took these efforts a step further in his Suite concertante by blending the sounds of his native Bohemia with the colors of French neo-classicism. In the Rhapsodies, Bartók turned to the folk music of Hungary and Romania. With this disc Frank Peter Zimmermann continues his exploration of the great violin works of the 20th century. His previous recording of works by Martinu and Bartók won a Diapason d’or and was named “Concerto Choice” by BBC Music Magazine.

Nancy Galbraith: Everything Flows
Alyssa Wang, violin
Nancy Galbraith, composer
Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose conducting

Presenting the premiere recording of three concerti by Pittsburgh-native composer Nancy Galbraith. Violin Concerto No. 1 (2016) was composed for CMU alumna Alyssa Wang, currently a violinist of the Boston Chamber Music Society and the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Ballet. According to the composer, this piece “celebrates Wang’s tremendous virtuosity, her deep musical sensitivity, and her fiery artistic temperament." The recording also includes her concerto for percussion, performed by Abby Langhorst; and for flute, performed by Lindsey Goodman. BELOW: Alyssa Wang performs the second movement "Eggshell White Night" from Nancy Galbraith's Violin Concerto No. 1:

Ascending to Light
Igor Kalnin, violin

"Ascending to Light" is a collection of solo violin music by contemporary composers from different cultures and parts of the world, selected with the idea of hopeful change and transcendance. There are four world premiere recordings: by Russian-American composer Polina Nazaykinskaya; Brooke Joyce (composer-in-residence at Luther College); African-American composer Adolphus Hailstork; and Uzbek composer Dilorom Saidaminova. The collection also includes works by Jessie Montgomery, Salvador Brotons, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson. A native of Russia, violinist Igor Kalnin was on the faculty at the Glinka State Conservatory and performed with the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin. After coming to the U.S. in 2004 he taught at Yale and Luther College. He is currently Artist-Teacher of Violin at Illinois State University. BELOW: Kalnin performs the world premiere of Dilorom Saidaminova's "Ascending to Light" for Solo Violin (2021):

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.

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Replies

jean dubuisson

January 14, 2024 at 12:05 PM · I've got the previous Martinu recording by Zimmerman with the first two violin concertos and the solo sonata. It's excellent.

Paul Deck

January 14, 2024 at 06:09 PM · Thanks for linking that Kalnin performance. That was worth hearing!

Elisabeth Matesky

January 14, 2024 at 08:56 PM · Re ~ Frank Peter Zimmermann in Bartok, Stravinsky & Martinu w/Hrusa/Bamberger Symphoniker ~ As from, US born Violinist, Elisabeth Matesky, pre-Frank Peter Zimmermann recording w/Bamberger Symphoniker {#3}

It's a rare privilege making Music w/the Bamberger Symphoniker, to record any major Violin Concerto with this profoundly erudite & wondrous German Orchestra, & 'Me Thinks', a German Second only to the Great Berliner Philharmoniker ... I truly look forward to hearing the Recording by a much younger Violin Colleague, Frank Peter Zimmermann, in all Three Violin Concerti, & feel very proud of having been a forerunner of the Bamberger Symphoniker Mgmt engaging an American born Artist, at a time when then 'Bamberg Symphony', was known only in English and emerging Nationally & Internationally with immense musical Support and Help via Great Berliner Philharmoniker 'Music Director for Life and Conductor', Herbert von Karajan!

Ours was a 'First' After 'King' David Oistrakh's Premiere Recording of Dimitri Shostakovich's 1st Violin Concerto in a minor, Opus 99, becoming unprecedented w/engaged Conductor, Superb Violist and Russian Maestro, Rudolph Barshai, taken very ill just prior to our beginning recording start date, and myself, suddenly & made aware of my beloved Father-Violin Mentor from Day One rushed to Hospital and 'not long for this World' {Mentor all way prior to being invited by Jascha Heifetz, into his 1st Original Jascha Heifetz Violin Master Class at USC's Institute for Special Music Studies, subsequently Filmed by NYC fabled Movie Producer, Nathan Kroll, bringing his Full Film/Audio Crew from NYC to Los Angeles, to film all 7 of us, original artist pupil's of Jascha Heifetz, w/Mr. Heifetz, happy to mentor each of us in our own 1/2 Hour individual films in repertoire selected by Mr. Heifetz} ... Apologies for extra space occupied to give some violin pedigree background, but there may be some unknowing of this on here who may now know/ become informed of 'Then' which was a 'Big Deal' in the Sixties Nationally /Internationally plus All North America when NYC Nat'l Education Television premiered the Jascha Heifetz Violin Master Class Films!

Our Recording, with a rare Conductor, suddenly changed and the German Associate Conductor to HvK & Berlin Philharmonic, fine H. Michael, was called in to conduct this Epic Score of Shostakovich, following what all in the Bamberger Symphoniker knew, was 'owned' by Great Violinist, David Oistrakh's, premiere Recording with D.O., being the Dedicatee of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto, with his recognizable 'Stamp' on the magnificent recording and with Maxim, Son of Shostakovich, Conducting, and all of us then under much pressure to prevail and myself, worried sick about Poppa, in Hospital not long for this world, yet in Bamberg from London, and praying my exhaustive studies of The Shostakovich, would slightly measure up or come in range with the musical ideas and poignant 'prayer' as composed in the "Intermezzo" 3rd Movement of Great Dmitri Shostakovich's Score really for Full Symphony Orchestra & Solo Violin 'Obligato'!

All Stated, I look forward to hearing Frank Peter Zimmermann's new Recording and with the Great Bamberger Symphoniker in {possibly?} The Bamberg Abbey where most superb Recordings

have taken place and forever superbly recorded by Significant German Sound Specialist Engineers ...

~ With Happy and Abundant New Year 2024 Greetings to All ~

.......... Carrier of the Heifetz-Milstein Legacy of Violin ..........

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Elisabeth Matesky ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fwd ~ dmg