Nielsen & Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is so frequently recorded that it’s difficult for new versions to make a distinct impression. The Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang does just that, however, in this bristlingly alive performance taped in 2011, when she was 25. The long opening movement feels freshly minted in Frang’s sweet-toned interpretation, the phrasing spontaneous and full of stimulating twists and wry inflections. In the central Canzonetta she is wistfully songful, while the super-fast finale is joyfully virtuosic, with an exuberant lightness of touch achieved by few other violinists. The less well-known Concerto by Carl Nielsen is the coupling, Frang’s empathetic advocacy suggesting it’s a work that merits closer attention. Conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen elicits hand-in-glove accompaniments from the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the recorded sound is excellent.