Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in d; Concerto for Violin, Piano & Orchestra —Solomiya Ivakhiv, violin; Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano; Slovak National Symphony/Theodore Kuchar (Brilliant 95733)
These are two accomplished works from the mind of a 13-year-old! The Violin Concerto in d draws on Classical-era models such as Mozart, but it is also influenced by French innovations in violin writing developed in Mendelssohn’s own time.. There is much dazzling filigree writing here but also some deeply expressive modulations that convey an emotional maturity far beyond the composer’s tender years.
The Double Concerto is an even more polished work, no less brilliant in its solo writing but astonishingly confident in its handling of material indebted to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Ukrainian violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv is now based in the US, where she works as both a soloist and a teacher, including Head of Strings at the University of Connecticut. Her partner needs no introduction to WCLV listeners: Antonio Pompa-Baldi is a Gold medalist of the Cleveland International Piano Competition and a member of the piano faculty at CIM. Conductor Theodore Kuchar is a CIM graduate.