Corigliano: Violin Concerto, 'The Red Violin' (Phantasmagoria) Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta

• Phantasmagoria - Suite from The Ghosts of Versailles
• 1 Phantasmagoria - Suite from The Ghosts of Versailles 22:04
• Violin Concerto, The Red Violin
• 2 I. Chaconne 17:16
• 3 II. Pianissimo scherzo 05:24
• 4 III. Andante flautando 06:28
• 5 IV. Accelerando finale 09:50
• Total Runtime 01:01:02

Info for Corigliano: Violin Concerto, 'The Red Violin' (Phantasmagoria)

With this new recording, JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic continue their revelatory exploration of Corigliano’s highly engaging and imaginative symphonic music. Phantasmagoria draws material from his immense opera The Ghosts of Versailles, with subliminal quotes from Mozart, Rossini and Wagner. Music from his third film score, The Red Violin, provided elements which Corigliano elaborates in the Violin Concerto, its opening Chaconne being described by the composer as ‘a passionate romantic essay’ which he has complemented with an effervescent Scherzo, an intensely emotional Andante and a racing, rollicking Finale.

It says something good about our contemporary musical life that major works such as these are available in multiple recordings. This is a wonderfully smart coupling: two major works both based on theatrical scores. Phantasmagoria comes from the opera The Ghosts of Versailles, while the 'Red Violin' Concerto has its origins in the film of the same name. The concerto already has been recorded, splendidly, by Joshua Bell and Marin Alsop for Sony Classical, but its coupling, Corigliano's Violin Sonata, while apt for the composer's fans, isn't as much fun as this one. Corigliano is, first and foremost, a splendid writer for the orchestra.

Furthermore, Michael Ludwig's solo work certainly compares favorably to Bell's. He's completely at home in the work's atrocious technical demands, and in the whirlwind scherzo and the rustic finale he even brings an extra measure of pyrotechnical dazzle. JoAnn Falletta and her Buffalo players also put on a virtuosic display, clearly relishing the many opportunities that Corigliano gives them to strut their stuff. Phantasmagoria truly is, well, phantasmagorical. The whole production is engineered with vivid but unobtrusive naturalness. A total winner. (David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com)

Michael Ludwig, Volin
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta, Conductor

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