The celebrity status of Russian composer Sergei Taneyev pales in comparison to his contemporary Tchaikovsky (to whom he was a pupil in his composition class at the Moscow Conservatory) and The Five Mighty. Neither is his music well established in our concert halls. Fortunately, there exist a few recordings that make up for the shortage, like this one here by conductor Dmitry Yablonsky heading the Kiev Virtuosi Symphony Orchestra.
This Concert Suite for violin and orchestra by Taneyev creates an atmosphere that is both familiar and shocking. The romantic score deploys a dramatism specific to a concerto (the Prelude and Grave are perfect illustrations of this) however the genre is subverted by the reworking of the suite. Inspired and with a well-tempered musicality, the composer exploits a variety of tones from his orchestra and weaves a thick thread of sound around the violin. The tone evokes images of a Don Quichottesque epic by Strauss more than it does a simple retelling of century-spanning traditional Russian tales…
The work lacks perhaps a touch of Annelle K. Gregory’s temperament, yet the intonation is perfect: the playing is rife with colour and expressionism and favours a certain elegance in discourse over severity. Dmitry Yablonsky’s charismatic direction nevertheless succeeds in keeping the soloist in check, following in the steps of David Oistrakh. Taneyev’s music therefore unveils itself progressively like an initiation with the Tarentella and Presto providing the complete picture at the end of this Concert Suite.
The Fantasia on Russian Themes for violin and orchestra by Rimski-Korsakov is cleverly placed after Taneyev’s œuvre, breaking with custom. Such a decision highlights the piece in an original manner and prevents the work from appearing too orderly. Upon listening, there is little opportunity for recovery as each track moves seamlessly onto the next. It is worth mentioning that Annelle K. Gregory choses a spirited tempo here and the central Lento allows us just enough time for breath. © Elsa Siffert/Qobuz