Dorian

Carrying one's own weight as a solo violinist is not an easy feat, but Stanislav Pronin makes it seem so. This self-assured, confident violinist performs a number of classics from the solo violin repertory, and even accompanies himself on a Prokofiev sonata for two violins. His crisp, sharp bow attacks are clean and bright on Paganiniana, which is, in a sense, variations upon variations. This style of bowing comes across as a bit too precise and not fluid enough on the Ysaÿe sonata, where each note is very distinct, but Pronin's command of the music is quite exciting to listen to. A more romantic, lush sound can be heard in the first part of the Ciaccona; some might object to Bach being played so lavishly, but Pronin makes the piece his own, creating his own dramatic interpretation. His fierce, attacking style returns in the second part of the piece, but his tremendous energy somehow seems to allow one to overlook the technique and admire his musicianship. Schnittke's A Paganini is an unusual work, with interesting rhythms and musical quotes here and there. The odd middle section is not the most melodic of musical passages, for it comes across rather like tuning a violin. This is no reflection on the violinist, but instead a credit to his versatility. Pronin performs both violin parts in the Prokofiev Sonata for 2 violins in C major, which is a complex work with many emotional facets. The dark, tortured feel of the Andante is created by its unusual tonality, and the contrast in moods in the Allegro concludes with enjoyable cacophony. The Commodo reveals a very different side to Pronin, which is light, sweet, and lyrical, taking the listener on an aural journey through interweaving lines. The final movement, the Allegro con brio, features bold chords and captures a sense of play, thanks to the violinist's spirit. Hopefully, Pronin will develop more dynamic contrasts over time and make choices that allow for more expressivity. © TiVo

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber's Mystery Sonatas, composed in the 1670s and 1680s, have almost as many interpretations as there are violinists. They're sometimes known as the "Rosary Sonatas," for the "mysteries" involved are the so-called Mysteries of the Rosary, episodes from the life of Christ that furnish material for meditative prayers undertaken with the devotional aid of Rosary prayer beads. Engravings of these episodes appear in Biber's original presentation manuscript of these works (whose cover is missing), and Canadian violinist Julia Wedman, inspired by paintings of the Mysteries of the Rosary she saw in the Aula Academica in Salzburg, emphasizes the sonatas' programmatic detail in her readings. There's no firm evidence that Biber himself was inspired by these paintings, but the idea isn't implausible. Wedman makes two unusual choices in implementing her programmatic idea. The first she shares with Andrew Manze and a few other violinists: instead of switching off among violins as Biber's scordatura or retuning directions become progressively more bizarre, she continues to play the same violin, forcing it into contortions as it approaches Christ's crucifixion and other, well, crucial episodes. This is not the usual approach, but it is persuasive if only because violinists in Biber's time did not possess a rack full of instruments. Wedman's second procedure may be less justifiable historically: she enlists the continuo players in her attempt to make these sonatas into detailed representational works. The same logic that supports her single-violin approach puts the continuo in question: would Biber or other violinists presenting these piece have had the luxury of trading off among gamba, theorbo, archlute, organ, harpsichord, cello, and harp as Wedman's accompanists do here? It's not likely, and it takes the focus off the violin in true virtuoso works. Her realization is never unmusical, however, and it builds nicely to the Crucifixion and Resurrection movements. She has plenty of technical resources to bear on the Passacaglia "The Guardian Angel," which on this and several other recordings is deployed as a finale to the Mystery Sonata cycle. This is an unusually speculative set of Mystery Sonatas, but one that will appeal to those who have come under the work's spell (if that word is permissible here). Notes, partly by Wedman herself, are in English only. © TiVo