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When you’re releasing your first CD as the Latest Hot Female Violinist, Hartmann’s dolorous Concerto funebre doesn’t leap to mind as the perfect debut vehicle. Alina Ibragimova still wows the crowd, but it’s for playing the heck out of this mournful work.
The 22-year-old Russian studied in Moscow and London, and marries the power of David Oistrakh to the cool focus of Yehudi Menuhin. (She also attended the Yehudi Menuhin School.) Her intelligent musicianship instantly moves her near the top of the list of impressive young violinists, no matter what gigs her looks may get her.
Hartmann wrote his Concerto Funebre for violin and string orchestra after the fall of Czechoslovakia to Hitler’s forces in 1939. The four-movement concerto opens and closes with consoling chorales, which surround two agitated movements.
Ibragimova borders on hysterical in those middle movements, and plays with assured lyricism in the other two. Violinist Jacqueline Shave organizes a clear reading of a difficult score, too.
The rest of the disc contains Hartmann’s two suites and two sonatas for solo violin, and, again, Ibragimova shows maturity beyond her years.
For those who prefer a more traditional introduction, check out Ibragimova’s recording of Bach’s Second Partita. It’s available as a free download on her website alinaibragimova.com, and it’s just as exacting as you’d expect.—Marc Geelhoed
Britten Sinfonia
Fri, Oct 19, 07, at 11:31am
It's great to see such a good review of this CD - in fact our concerts featuring Alina playing Hartmann's Concerto Funebre ar ecoming up this week. To hear from Alina directly, we have an exclusive podcast featuring Alina being interviewed by BBC Radio 3's Fiona Talkington available at http://www.brittensinfonia.co.uk/listen/podcasts.html.
