By Damián Autorino
Editor at Moto Perpetuo
RICHARD STRAUSS | RENAUD CAPUÇON
Petr Popelka | Seiji Ozawa | Wiener Symphoniker | Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester.
Released on January 31, 2025 (Deutsche Grammophon)
To listen, click here
Renaud Capuçon pays tribute to one of his favourite composers, Richard Strauss, with an album that brings together a selection of both new and archival recordings. The program features orchestral and chamber works that highlight the violin as the main voice.
The album opens with the youthful Violin Concerto, performed by Capuçon alongside the Wiener Symphoniker under the baton of Petr Popelka. He then turns to the virtuosic Violin Sonata in E-flat major (1887), partnering with pianist Guillaume Bellom. The duo is later joined by violist Paul Zientara and cellist Julia Hagen for the Piano Quartet (1883–84). Between these two chamber works, Capuçon offers a moment of introspection with Daphne-Etude, a solo piece.
The program continues with two chamber works from Strauss’s later years. The String Sextet from the opening of Capriccio (1943) masterfully balances individual instrumental colors with a rich ensemble blend. In a more somber vein, Metamorphosen (1945), written in the final months of World War II, is performed in its original septet version, arranged in the 1990s by cellist Rudolf Leopold. These two works were recorded live at the 2022 Salzburg Festival with Christoph Koncz (violin), Gérard Caussé and Veronika Hagen (viola), Julia Hagen and Clemens Hagen (cello), and, for Metamorphosen, Alois Posch (double bass).
The album closes with Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), in a 2000 recording featuring Capuçon as concertmaster of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester under the recently deceased Seiji Ozawa. This final track, recorded more than 24 years ago, reflects Capuçon’s deep connection to Strauss’s music and adds a poignant dimension to the entire album.
OVERVIEW
Renaud Capuçon (b. 1976) is a French violinist who studied at the Paris Conservatoire. He has performed with major orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmoniker and collaborated with the most important conductors of our time. He has an extensive discography. In addition to his performing career, he teaches at the Haute École de Musique in Lausanne and serves as artistic director of the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival and the International Menuhin Music Academy. He plays the 1737 Guarneri del Gesù “Panette” violin, previously owned by Isaac Stern.
******
SCHUMANN: VIOLIN SONATAS
Cédric Tiberghien | Alina Ibragimova. Released on January 31, 2025 (Hyperion)
Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien have been a musical duo for years, exploring the violin and piano repertoire of great composers from the past—Brahms, Franck, Mozart, Schubert, Ravel—as well as contemporary works. Now, they turn their attention to Robert Schumann’s three sonatas for violin and piano, composed in the final years of his life.
The Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105 (1851) was Schumann’s first attempt at a violin sonata. Passionate and intimate, the work ultimately left him dissatisfied. A few years later, he composed the Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121 (1851, published 1853), a more complex and emotionally charged piece. Its second movement (Sehr lebhaft) stands out for the intricate interplay between violin and piano.
The Violin Sonata No. 3 in A minor, WoO 2 has a unique origin. Part of it comes from the FAE Sonata, a collaborative work Schumann wrote with Brahms and Albert Dietrich as a tribute to violinist Joseph Joachim. Schumann later expanded his contribution into a full sonata, though it remained unpublished during his lifetime. While often considered more fragmented than the previous two, it contains striking ideas and a bold, exploratory spirit.
Speaking about his musical partnership with Ibragimova, Tiberghien once said: “What we have is a mysterious alchemy that we have felt since the beginning of our collaboration. It is something very natural between us, something that imposed itself, so there are numerous aspects we don’t even discuss because we perceive them immediately.” Perhaps this is the key to their artistic synergy and the longevity of their collaboration—something this album beautifully captures.
OVERVIEW
Violinist Alina Ibragimova performs a wide-ranging repertoire, from baroque to contemporary music, using both period and modern instruments as suited to the work. She has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras and is also active as a chamber musician. A founding member of the Chiaroscuro Quartet, she regularly collaborates with pianist Cédric Tiberghien. Her recordings on Hyperion Records include works by Bach, Schubert, and Shostakovich. Born in Russia in 1985, she studied at the Moscow Gnesin School, the Yehudi Menuhin School, and the Royal College of Music.
French pianist Cédric Tiberghien has an international career as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed with important orchestras and is a regular guest at Wigmore Hall. His discography includes works by Beethoven, Ravel, and Bartók. In addition to his solo work, he frequently collaborates with violinist Alina Ibragimova and other chamber musicians. He is also involved in teaching at the Académie Musicale Philippe Jaroussky.
Subscribe to our newsletter