Tor Aulin? Probably not many know the name, even the most hardcore music-lovers. But, in Sweden at least, it was a key name in musical life: the name of a violin virtuoso, the leader of the Aulin Quartet and a conductor who led his orchestra in some bold and avant-garde numbers. That said, his own compositions were not really immensely daring, and one might note the clear influence, for example, of Max Bruch on his three concertos, which are all recorded here by the Swedish violinist Ulf Wallin. These three works were written in 1889, 1892 and 1896 – the last performed at Leipzig, by the very famous Henri Marteau himself – proof that Aulin was, in his day at least, seen as a musician of international standing. Between a certain British pomp and a very subtle cantilena – with a few Nordic accents, discreet but still noticeable – Aulin offers us a very welcome renewal of the late-Romantic concert violin. Wallin, for his part, sticks up for these works with verve and ardour. © SM/Qobuz