“ELGAR: VIOLIN CONCERTO” Nikolaj Znaider (RCA Red Seal) *****
Classical music makes me feel the way jazz does- like a straw chewin’ Hee-Haw watchin’ Rube. But still, even to my untrained ears, this is beautiful.
Born in Denmark in 1976, Znaider’s violin playing is heralded in classical music circles as “extraordinarily intelligent, soulful and impassioned, yet without a hint of indulgence.” I can imagine grown people weeping openly while he plays. This concerto, written by Sir Edward Elgar and his last popular success, was commissioned by The Royal Philharmonic Society of London in 1909, and first performed in 1910. Znaider’s version is three movements over roughly 50 minutes. As with most music, I only asked one question; “Does this move me, or doesn’t it?” It really does. This disc has more soul than all the Jeeps and Honda Civics in North America combined.
KEY CUT: “Concerto in B-Minor, op. 61”