Search - Frederick Delius, Edward Elgar, Henry Wood :: Elgar & Delius: Violin Concertos

Though sadly unfamiliar to audiences outside his native England, Albert Sammons was one of the greatest violinists of his time, as is amply proved by his playing on this disc. His tone, despite the recording's age, is pure, focused, intense, and unfailingly expressive, soaring radiantly in the high register. His technique is formidable, his intonation impeccable, his facility brilliant but never showy, and he uses his instrumental mastery entirely in the service of the music. The performances recorded here, expressing a deep understanding of and personal feeling for the music, are truly authentic: Delius wrote his concerto for him and accepted his technical advice, and he often performed Elgar's under the composer's baton. Both works are thoroughly romantic and seem to breathe the pastoral, peaceful, leisurely, expansive air of the English countryside. But they also generate intense passion and bursts of brilliant virtuosity, which Sammons tosses off easily. The runs are crystal clear and always part of the music. In keeping with the style of the time, he slides a good deal, but invariably with taste and discretion; his playing is austere and unsentimental. The Delius is predominantly dreamy, atmospheric, and rhapsodic, but Sammons, aided by Malcolm Sargent, saves it from rambling. The more popular Elgar is a much stronger work. Masterfully constructed and orchestrated, somber, nostalgic, and melancholy, it abounds with beguilingly beautiful, rapturous melodies, which Sammons plays with great warmth and affection. Henry Wood's brisk tempos and famously brusque approach preclude any effusive lingering, but give the fast movements vitality and momentum. --Edith Eisler