Britten & Elgar: Sea Interludes, Violin Concerto

Chronique

This 2023 Linn Records release will probably gain attention because there is a new Barenboim in town, and many listeners are wondering whether Michael Barenboim can develop the charisma of his famous father. The jury is still out on that, but it shouldn't be overlooked that there is another rising star here: conductor Alessandro Crudele has made several acclaimed recordings, and here, he gets his own chance to shine right off in Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes. These pieces, extracted from Britten's opera, seem to revel in a long tradition of British music depicting the ocean. They seem unusually straightforward and Romantic by Britten's standards, but they require fine control over an orchestra to keep from seeming random. This they get from Crudele and the Philharmonia Orchestra here. One could drop the laser in any number of places, but try the beginning of the second interlude, "Sunday Morning," with its overlapping horns. There are probably horn sections more perfect than the Philharmonia's by now, but the passage has a haunting quality in Crudele's hands. The Elgar Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61, showcases the young Barenboim on violin, and it is fine. Everything is in place, and he gets accurate support, once again, from Crudele. The violin writing in this work is one thing, and Barenboim nails it, auguring well for his future. The shades of emotional meaning are another, and those are perhaps not quite there yet. However, this will be a recording to keep and treasure as the careers of its young players develop.
© James Manheim /TiVo