Borgström & Shostakovich: Violin Concertos
“[Shostakovich] Hemsing is as fine in the third movement as the first in progressively ratcheting up the tension before easing down into the cadenza, which in turn grows steadily to a searing climax. The finale scuttles along brilliantly.“
- The Strad
“[Shostakovich] Hemsing is as fine in the third movement as the first in progressively ratcheting up the tension before easing down into the cadenza, which in turn grows steadily to a searing climax. The finale scuttles along brilliantly.“
The Strad
– MORE REVIEWS –
The present disc marks Eldbjørg Hemsing´s first appearance on label BIS, and is also her début CD. For the occasion, Ms Eldbjørg Hemsing has chosen to highlight an all but forgotten work by a countryman, Hjalmar Borgström. His Violin Concerto in G major was first performed in 1914 as part of a celebration of the centenary of the Norwegian constitution, and the highly tuneful and expressive work was well received. It did not become established in the repertoire, however, receiving only a few performances in the following decades. The forgotten concerto is combined with a work that is rather more central to the violin repertoire, Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto.
Review
“[Shostakovich] Hemsing is as fine in the third movement as the first in progressively ratcheting up the tension before easing down into the cadenza, which in turn grows steadily to a searing climax. The finale scuttles along brilliantly.“
May 2018
“Hemsing is at her best in the Passacaglia, the temperature rising inexorably to boiling point. The last movement’s adrenalin rush is joyous. Excellent sound, too – an enjoyable disc.“
The recording was generously supported
by the long-term artistic grant by Göhde Foundation.