d’Ambrosio Sérénade in D major Op.4 (1897); Aria Op. 22 (1903)
Braga La Serenata (1867 arr. Pollitzer)
Drdla Serenade no.1 in A major (1901)
Godard Canzonetta Op.35/3 (1876, arr. composer)
Granados Oriental Op.37/2 (1890, arr. Jones)
Hollander Mazurek in E major Op.25 (1898)
Laub Canzonetta in B minor Op.12/1 (1884)
Moszkowski Mélodie in F major Op.18/1 (1879, arr. Hermann); Guitarre in G major Op.45/2 (1890, arr. Sarasate)
Paganini Cantabile e Valzer Op.19 (1823)
Raff Méditation in A major Op.75/5 (1859, arr. Hermann); Cavatina in D major Op.85/3 (1862)
F. A. Schubert Bagatelles Op.13 (1860) – nos. 3, 4, 5 (Le désir), no. 9 (L’abeille), no.12 (Barcarola)
Sgambati Serenata napoletana Op.24/2 (1891)
Spohr Barcarole in G major Op.135/1 (1848)
Vecsey Valse triste in C minor (1913)
Zarzycki Mazurkas – no.1 in G major Op.26 (1884); no.2 in E major Op.39 (1894)

Vaughan Jones (violin); Marcus Price (piano)

First Hand Records FHR95 [82’50”]

Producer & Engineer John Croft

Recorded 27, 28 & 30 December 2019, Plumcroft Primary School, London

Written by Richard Whitehouse

What’s the story?

Vaughan Jones continues a productive association with First Hand Records on this generous selection of encores from the golden age of the violin virtuoso, skillfully programmed so as to present composers often regarded as ‘one hit wonders’ in a more rounded and inclusive light.

What’s the music like?

One of the chief attractions is Jones’s bringing together the established with the unfamiliar – so the programme features not only Aleksander Zarzycki’s vibrantly assertive First Mazurka, but also its seldom revived and no less characterful successor. Earliest of those unashamedly public virtuosos, Niccoló Paganini is represented by music of an elegance and finesse by no means foreign to his persona; with the comparable expressive range of Alfredo d’Ambrosio as evident in his lilting Sérénade as in his sombrely musing Aria. Enjoying modest revival, Moritz Moszkowski contributes the languid Mélodie but also the indelible élan of his Guitarre.

Benjamin Godard remains one for whom quantity is not always synonymous with quality, but this arrangement from his Concerto romantique yields a winning insouciance. The inclusion of Joachim Raff’s emotive Cavatina was to be expected, but that of his aptly subtitled Après le coucher du Soleil is an unexpected and affecting pleasure. The name of František Drdla is securely kept alive by the appealing whimsy of his contribution, as is that of Gaetano Braga by the wistful eloquence and finely drawn contrast of his Angel’s Serenade. Whether or not his name is wholly responsible for his latter-day obscurity, Franz Anton (François) Schubert was evidently a skillful composer – hence these five out of 12 Bagatelles such as reference a subtle range of moods on route to the animated L’abeille then the ruminative Barcarola.

The stealthy virtuosity evinced by Giovanni Sgambati sounds anything but mindless, while the taciturn charm conjured by Ferdinand Laub makes plain why his musicianship was held in such high esteem by Tchaikovsky. The incisive wit and technical agility of Benoit (Benno) Hollander is everywhere apparent, as too is the winsome and (at least as rendered here) never unduly saccharine charm of Louis Spohr. Nor does the ‘heart on sleeve’ immediacy of Franz von Vecsey fall victim to false sentiment, whereas the second (and not necessarily the most immediately appealing) out of those dozen pieces that comprise Enrique Granados’s Danzas españolas brings the whole programme to a warmly and thoughtfully understated conclusion.

Does it all work?

Yes, and not only on account of Vaughan Jones’s astute sense of programming. Throughout this lengthy yet always engaging miscellany, his playing eschews mere showiness in favour of a discipline and focus which ensure that even the most obvious ‘war-horses’ emerge newly minted. It also helps when the pianism of Marcus Price is consistently attentive to the subtle variations of mood and expression as are contained herein, while the balance between violin and piano could hardly be improved upon in terms of its definition and overall perspective.

Is it recommended?

Indeed. Special praise for a booklet which features the violinist’s finely researched notes and is designed to resemble a programme as might have been encountered at a recital during this period. Clearly FHR’s production values are no less conscientious than Jones’s musicianship.

Listen

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You can discover more about this release at the First Hand Records website, where you can also purchase the recording.