Christian Tetzlaff's new recording of Elgar's Violin Concerto, with the BBC Philharmonic under John Storgårds, has divided opinion but left no one indifferent. The performance is notably brisk, shaving minutes off typical renditions, and driven by Storgårds' electric orchestral direction. Tetzlaff often accelerates into moments of intensity rather than expanding them, creating an exhilarating effect, though some dense passages may sound fragmented.
Despite the speed, Tetzlaff offers unexpected introspection in certain phrases, subverting expectations of where emotional weight should fall. The result is a refreshing and thoughtful interpretation that challenges conventional approaches to the concerto.
The album also includes Thomas Adès's 2005 Violin Concerto, Concentric Paths, where Tetzlaff emphasizes urgency over lyricism. Storgårds shapes the orchestral music into vast arcs, with the muscular second movement building juggernaut-like intensity. The third movement's catchy melody is anchored by the orchestra's bass, evoking centrifugal force.
