Something old, Something new

Tianwa Yang has a treat for you!

Tianwa Yang, Violin
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
Darrell Ang

These two concertos – one a staple of the repertoire, the other almost unknown – share melodic richness and a Spanish influence. Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole reflects the quicksilver technique of its dedicatee, Pablo de Sarasate, in its ingenious and virtuosic passagework, with its moods and rhythms indelibly Iberian in feel. Joan Manén, in his day almost as famous as his fellow Catalan Pau Casals, was an admired virtuoso violinist and a prominent composer. His Concierto español, the first of three violin concertos, is suffused with technical demands, lyric warmth, and rhapsodic nostalgia. Soloist Tianwa Yang’s Sarasate recordings have received international acclaim.

Winner of the prestigious ECHO Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year 2015 Award for her Naxos recording Ysaÿe’s 6 Sonatas for Solo Violin, the Best Up-and-Coming Artist 2014 Award and the Annual Prize of the German Record Critics 2014 for her Naxos recordings of the Mendelssohn Violin Concertos and Complete Music for Violin by Sarasate, Tianwa Yang is referred to as “an unquestioned master of the violin” by American Record Guide who “rises above her competition” (Fanfare), while quickly establishing herself as a leading international performer and recording artist. Of her previously released recordings of Pablo de Sarasate’s complete works for violin, David Hurwitz of ClassicsToday.com calls Ms. Yang a “sensationally talented violinist,” while All Things Strings speaks of her “stunning effortless virtuosity” and “uncanny affinity for Spanish music.”

Tianwa’s thoughts
about this album

“Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole has been one of my favourite and most performed concertos in the last ten years and recording it with the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona and Darrell Ang was just an incredible and memorable experience for me. The work is a wonderful mixture of Spanish temperament and French nobleness and perfectly combines beautiful lyrical tunes with many virtuosic firework passages on the solo violin. A great treat and enjoyment both for the violinist and the listeners!

It is very confusing to me, why the Concierto Espagnole by Juan Manén remains unknown even between violinists. It is brilliantly written for the solo violin and beautifully orchestrated, a must-have for all Spanish music lovers like me!”

– Tianwa Yang

BACK

Darrell Ang’s triumph at the 50th Besançon International Young Conductor’s Competition, where he took all three top awards – Grand Prize, Audience Prize and Orchestra Prize – launched his international career, leading to the music directorship of the Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne and numerous guest conducting engagements in Europe and Asia. In his native Singapore he became the youngest Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and served as the Music Director of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.

The OBC (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra – the National Orchestra of Catalonia) was founded in 1944 by Eduard Toldrà. Its commitment is to promote classical and contemporary music of all cultures, giving special attention to Catalan composers. It has made more than 100 recordings for Decca, EMI, Auvidis, Koch, Claves, Naxos, Telarc, Tritó, Columna Música and BIS, combining Catalan with wider repertoire.