Disk of 2023 > [Archived] Classic
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Renaud Capuçon and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra – Mozart’s Concertos for Violin and Orchestra – CD Review, 6th-8th of November 2023
I propose to you, a discographic set recorded in September 2022 at the Beaulieu Theater in Lausanne and released in September 2023 at Deutsche Grammophon. The collection includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's five violin concertos, as well as the same composer's Rondo in C Major K 373 and Adagio in E Major K 261 for violin and orchestra, all recorded by violinist Renaud Capuçon with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. Renaud Capuçon has been the artistic director of the renowned Swiss ensemble since 2021 and, since assuming this position, has aimed to perpetuate the complete Mozart Violin Concertos and Orchestra. He took his approach to the end, and the result is remarkable. Renaud Capuçon, with an elegant and stylistically immaculate interpretation, reveals the optimistic spirit of these works, their subtlety, spontaneity and grace. Generally speaking, young violinists rush to play these Mozart concertos, charmed by their melodiousness and relative technical ease. Although he had a version in 2009 with Mozart's first and third concertos printed together with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the conductor Louis Langree, violinist Renaud Capuçon waited until he was 47 years old to fully record the Mozartian concertos, knowing that he really needs a vast experience and artistic maturity to approach these masterpieces of violin literature. Mozart has always been in the center of the Lausanne Orchestra's repertoire, ever since the ensemble was founded in 1942. The orchestra's discography already includes recordings appreciated and awarded by international critics, with serenades for orchestra, complete concertos for piano and orchestra and with other works by the Austrian composer. And now, the complete print of Mozart's violin concertos harmoniously completes this discography, also becoming a landmark in worldwide art of violin. The album is part of a wider series dedicated by Renaud Capuçon to the Mozartian repertoire. Within this project, the sonatas for violin and piano by Mozart recorded together with the pianist Kit Armstrong, were already released in June, and soon a disc that includes the Austrian composer's Piano Quartets will be released, all from the Deutsche Grammophon. Therefore, the album with the five concertos for violin and orchestra is the second in this series and it can already be considered a success, having been positively reviewed by international critics. The finesse of Renaud Capuçon's interpretation, his good artistic communication with the Lausanne ensemble and the homogeneous stylistic approach did not go unnoticed. This is the third discographic set of the ensemble from Lausanne, after Renaud Capuçon took over the artistic direction of the orchestra. In the last two years, their artistic collaboration also resulted in albums with works by Arvo Part, Bologne de Saint George and the four concertos for violinand orchestra: "The Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi. These recordings, as well as the previous ones in Renaud Capucon's discography, show a great stylistic variety - a comprehensive repertoire, extended from baroque to contemporary music. Ever since taking over the position of artistic director of the famous Swiss ensemble, Renaud Capuçon wanted to record the complete Mozart Concertos for violin and orchestra. We have a natural affinity with this repertoire, whose sound and sense of phrasing inspire us. Recording these works was pure joy." says violinist Renaud Capuçon.
Translated by Constantin Grigorescu,
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I
Corrected by Silvia Petrescu