Review: Mozart - The Violin Concertos

It is rather surprising that Pentatone has decided to issue another set of Mozart’s Violin Concertos, since it already has two sets in its catalogue – by Julia Fischer and Arabella Steinbacher. It is a sure indication of the label’s confidence and enthusiasm for violinist Chloe Chua that they would release yet another set into a market already overflowing with recordings of these works.

Mozart – Violin Concertos

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These performances made me contemplate the tension between beauty, accuracy, artistic freedom, and impact. Chua’s playing and that of the Singapore Symphony orchestra under Music Director Hans Graf is technically immaculate. Her bowing is smooth, intonation is perfect, and a full tone is maintained throughout every register. Even in the most ornate arpeggiated passages, the violin sings. The Singapore Symphony orchestra uses a slimmed down string section: a YouTube performance of the fifth concerto by these forces shows a complement of 6/5/5/4/3. Horns and oboes have a clear presence in the orchestral sound and balance between orchestra and soloist is ideal.

Orchestra and soloist use more vibrato than many recent releases, which may prove refreshing to those weary of historically informed performance practice. Tempos feel just right, with a pleasing buoyancy in the slow movements that help create warm, lyrical readings. The agile, quick outer movements are never rushed or driven too hard – one never hears a tempo chosen to make the playing more about showmanship. The unanimity of articulation and phrasing from all performers is flawless. Chua’s tone, lithe and silvery, suits this music, as does her singing tone, which makes the slow movement of the third concerto a particular highlight.

In short, these are perhaps the most flawlessly executed performances I have heard. Unfortunately, the performances failed to move me. Despite the tremendous care to realize everything on the page as beautifully and accurately as possible, I found little interpretive imagination in the readings.

The focus on beauty of tone and lyricism of line, on making sure every ‘T’ is crossed and every ‘I’ dotted, results in a default approach of moderation. Compare this third concerto’s first movement with the Fischer/Kreizberg/Netherlands Chamber Orchestra reading: while the new performance is roughly 30 seconds faster, it feels slower than the Netherlanders, because its Allegro has greater drive and sharper articulation, producing a joy-de-vivre that mostly eludes Chua and Graf.

image: ©️ Jack Yam

Both Fischer and Steinbacher (Festival Strings Luzerne) make the opening of the fifth concerto more audacious. In Mozart’s brilliant writing, the orchestra presents a sparkling ritornello theme that is suddenly stopped in its tracks by the soloist’s ruminative Adagio, as if the individual is not ready or willing to join in the playfulness offered by the orchestra. It is an unexpected juxtaposition of conflicting moods. But Chua seems intent on minimizing or connecting these two passages – at least that is how it feels, because she allows herself so little rhythmic freedom. In fact, an adherence to limited rubato is a consistent feature of her playing, which lessens some of the music’s more poetic moments.

In the fifth’s final movement, Chua and Graf seem almost uncomfortable with the rogue Turkish Janissary passage, as if seizing on its character will lead to something less beautiful, whereas Fischer and Steinbacher revel in the opportunity to become more rambunctious.

That Chua loves this music is never in doubt, but I question her decision to focus so exclusively on ensuring a perfect rendition of everything on the printed page. Mozart wrote these works when he was young and impetuous, and we know there was an expected sense of improvisation in concertos of this period (and not just in cadenzas). I sense too little of that in Chua’s playing, whereas Steinbacher and Fischer (and Frang and Faust to name just two of my other favorites) bring an improvisatory feel to their readings, giving their interpretations a stronger, more convincing interpretational profile.

The recording also includes the two Rondos and Adagio in E, as well as a lovely reading of the Sinfonia Concertante with violist Ziyu He, cut from the same interpretive cloth as the concertos. Beautifully played readings, in excellent sound, that are not as wholly satisfying as the other recordings referenced above.