Linus Roth

Sitting at home during the global pandemic with all performances cancelled for the foreseeable future, acclaimed violinist, Linus Roth turned to his notebooks of random musical ideas and jottings for inspiration. One idea jumped off the page at him – to record a programme made up of some of his most beloved pieces for violin and piano, all of which had in common both a virtuoso character and that they were all dances. What better way to lift the spirits at this time than with dance music? He called his long term musical partner, pianist José Gallardo to plan out the recording and five weeks later, they had the remarkable opportunity to record the album in the visually stunning and acoustically unique Library of the former monastery in Ochsenhausen, Germany, home of the Music Academy of Baden-Württemberg. This venue had a particular significance for Roth, as he had first stood on the hall’s stage to perform at the tender age of eleven and had recently been appointed Artistic Director of the Music Festival ‘Schwäbischer Frühling’ which takes place every May in this same hall. As the festival in 2020 had also had to be cancelled, it was a wonderful synergy to be back on that very same stage and to have the amazing opportunity to bring this vivid recording idea to life. © Challenge Classics

The two violin sonatas of Robert Schumann both stem from 1851, late in the composer's life and amidst a time of personal and psychological turmoil. Like other works of this period, the violin sonatas are filled with poignant emotions: angst, longing, melancholy. Despite their depth and profundity, relatively few violinists have made recordings of the works, and they appear on recital programs far less frequently than sonatas by Schumann's contemporaries. This Challenge Classics album features violinist Linus Roth and pianist José Gallardo; though both young musicians, the duo had been playing together for nearly a decade by the time of this recording. The proof of such a long-standing collaboration is immediately clear; the dialogue between violin and piano, an intrinsically important feature in Schumann's sonatas, is entirely natural and seamless. Balance between the instruments is marvelous, fluidly allowing the melody to rise to the surface regardless of instrument or register. Roth's playing is deeply satisfying, with a rich, warm tone in the lower registers and a clear, crisp, but not-too-bright sound high on the E string. The breadth of emotions written into the score is effortlessly translated by Roth and Gallardo, from the mesmerizingly simple beauty of Second Sonata's third movement to the fiery menacing of the First Sonata Finale. The disc also includes three Schumann songs, tastefully transcribed by Roth and Gallardo, and a fourth arranged by Joseph Joachim. As in the sonatas, the songs showcase the abundant technical gifts and musical insight that Roth and Gallardo have to offer. © TiVo