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Louis

SPOHR

Concertos for

Two Violins,

Nos. 1 and 2

Henning Kraggerud and

yvind Bjor, ViolinsOslo Camerata and

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Concertos for multiple soloists were rare in the romanticera. The cult of the solo-virtuoso dominated the genrewith its strong focus on the unique individuality of aspecific performers contribution to what is essentiallyan argumentative form. While excelling in this type ofconcerto as well, with four Clarinet Concertos and theeighteen solo Violin Concertos, Louis Spohr sought toplace musical integrity ahead of superficialshowmanship in the relationship between soloist andensemble.

When Spohr was eighteen years old, a concert-tour

took him to St Petersburg in Russia where he witnessedan Orthodox church ritual. He was fascinated by theantiphonal singing of the church choirs, and a life-longinterest in the responsorial possibilities inherent indialogue became a driving inspirational force in many ofhis compositions. This interest manifested itself inworks such as the beautifulMass, Op. 54, for two choirsof 1821, and the gorgeous collection of four double

string-quartets. It culminated in his Seventh Symphonywritten for double orchestra. The two Concertantirecorded here belong in this category, where two equallyimportant forces share the stage and enter into acivilized conversation with one another.

One can notice a nostalgic tendency in Spohrsaesthetic which coincided with the rise of bourgeoishistoricism in the other arts. It has often been called theBiedermeier style, and is characterized by elegance,sturdy workmanship, and emotional reticence; this stylewas to be maligned in the rise of the sensational in art.Louis Spohr opposed the superficiality of the nationalromantic school of composition, which he considered

works of Beethoven, Weber, and the young Wagner (heconducted early performances ofThe Flying Dutchmanand Tannhuser) that best illustrates his opposition tocontemporary tendencies, which lay in his desire topromote what he considered to be the true art ofcomposition. He demanded structural discipline and thesubservience of the virtuosic to the musical utterance.This does not mean that his works do not displayinstrumental brilliance. The music is extremelydemanding technically and the glittering solo passagesoverwhelm the listener with feelings of satisfaction and

contentment. Spohrs style has been accused of beingfeminine, but there is no tasteless excess and, at thesame time, the music is harmonically advanced with astrong emphasis on chromatic invention. The forms hechooses for his concertos are classical but never routine.At the other extreme, he developed the art of through-composition and pioneered the use of the Leit-motiv inhis operas (Faust 1813 and Jessonda 1822) before

Wagner. The over-riding tendency, however, was hisemphasis on good taste, solid craftsmanship andemotional restraint. This aesthetic has been problematicfor his subsequent reputation, in that concert-goers havedemanded a more extrovert sensationalised form ofexpression. The subtleties inherent in Spohrs style haveoften been regarded as his weakness. This is certainlynot the case, but the listener must attune him/herself to asonic world inhabited by a delicate sensibility, to smallshifts in thematic emphasis. Spohr is a master of thedevelopmental possibilities inherent in a clear melodiccontour, which is usually presented unadorned at thebeginning of each composition.

Louis Spohr (17841859)

Concertante in A major, Op. 48 Concertante in B minor, Op. 88 Duet, Op. 3, No. 3

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well as his championing of the works of J. S. Bach.Indeed, the two works have more in common withBachs concerto for similar forces in its use of Baroqueideals inherited from the Concerto Grosso.

Spohr uses the term concertante to describe thesetwo works for two violins and orchestra. Each

Concertante is in the traditional three movements. Thefirst, the Concertante in A major, Op. 48, was composedin 1808. The introduction is in a mellow A minor,containing wisps of the main contour appearing beforethe Allegro begins in earnest presented by the twoviolinists playing in octaves. The second, theConcertante in B minor, Op. 88, written in 1833, is amature work that predates many of the stylistic traitscopied later by Berlioz, Tchaikovsky and Mahler. The

orchestral introduction sets the stage for the two soloists

who present the two themes of this sonata movement.The second movement begins with the soloists playingdouble-stops, the result sounding like a string quartet.The last movement is again inRondo form with a themeof darker hue, perhaps reflecting the fatal illness of hiswife Dorette.

Louis Spohrs Violinschule, published in 1833, wasone of the founding pillars of the German violintradition. The work consists of violin duets for teacherand pupil. The Violin Duet in G major, Op. 3, No. 3included here is, in contrast, written for two equalpartners, enjoying a lively dialogue.

Olav Anton Thommessen

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Henning Kraggerud

Born in Oslo in 1973, the Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud was astudent at the Barratt Due Institute under Stephan Barratt-Due, and alsostudied with Camilla Wicks and Emanuel Hurwitz. He is a recipient ofNorways prestigious Grieg Prize, the Ole Bull Prize and the Sibelius Prize.He is a professor at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo, and appearsas a soloist with many of the worlds leading orchestras in Europe, NorthAmerica, Asia and Australia, collaborating with many leading conductors.A committed chamber musician, Henning Kraggerud also performs both onviolin and on viola at major international festivals, appearing with musicianssuch as Stephen Kovacevich, Kathryn Stott, Leif Ove Andsnes, JeffreyKahane, Truls Mrk and Martha Argerich. His recordings include anacclaimed release of the complete Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas of Ysae

for Simax, which brought him the Spellemann CD Award. His recordingsfor Naxos include Griegs Violin Sonatas, Norwegian Favourites for violinand orchestra, works by Sinding for violin and piano and the violinconcertos of Sinding and of Sibelius. He plays a 1744 Guarneri del Gesinstrument, provided by Dextra Musica AS, a company founded bySparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR.

yvind Bjor

yvind Bjor formerly studied at the Barratt Due Institute under StephanBarratt-Due. He is a versatile solo violinist who has also distinguished himselfas a leader of orchestral ensembles. Formerly concertmaster of the TrondheimSymphony and Bergen Philharmonic, he currently leads the NorwegianNational Opera Orchestra. As guest leader he has appeared with thePhilharmonia Orchestra in London, the Danish National Symphony, the OsloPhilharmonic, the Orquesta Filarmnica de Gran Canaria, the Real OrquestaSinfnica de Sevilla, the Trondheim Soloists and Oslo Camerata, and he hasalso given solo performances with major symphony orchestras in Norway. As achamber musician he has had the honour of performing at Troldhaugen and

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Oslo Camerata

The Oslo Camerata was established in 1998, and has since then been much in demand in Norway and abroad.Regular tours have brought them to prestigious festivals and concert-series in several European countries, India andSouth America. They have produced several commercial recordings as well as television recordings for NRK. Therepertoire of the ensemble spans from baroque to contemporary music, with commissioned works from both youngand established composers. From the very beginning there has been collaboration with artists such as MischaMaisky, Julian Rachlin, Truls Mrk, Christian Lindberg, Henning Kraggerud, Lidia Baich and Jeremy Menuhin.The Oslo Camerata is ensemble-in-residence at the renowned Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo. From 2008 theensemble has, through funding by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, been involved in, and supportedProjeto Aprendiz in Niteroi, Brazil, a music project for children and young people in thefavelas. The internationallyrenowned cellist Truls Mrk has from 2009 been associated with the orchestra as principal guest leader. Otherrecordings include Griegs Music for String Orchestra (Naxos 8.557890) and the soon to be released orchestralarrangements of String Quartets by Grieg and Arne Nordheim. This recording brings the Oslo Camerata together

with players from the Chamber Orchestra of the Barratt Due Institute of Music.

www.oslocamerata.no

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Stephan Barratt-Due

Stephan Barratt-Due is the third generation of violinists from a family with along musical tradition. Since his dbut in 1981 he has been active as a soloist,chamber musician and orchestra leader, participating in numerous national and

international festivals both in and outside Norway, and has toured extensively inNorway, the United States, Asia, South-America and Europe. His duocollaboration with violist Soon-Mi Chung has become well known over theyears in Norway, through tours, television appearances and recordings, andmany important Norwegian composers such as Arne Nordheim and KjetilHvoslef have written for this duo. During the course of his career Barratt-Duehas made several recordings. In 1985 he succeeded his father as artistic directorof the Barratt Due Institute of Music, a 500-student conservatory in Oslofounded in 1927 by his grandparents. Since he took over the Institute has

evolved into one of the leading educational institutions in Norway, producingnumerous highly distinguished musicians. Stephan Barratt-Due is todayconsidered one of the leading violin professors in Scandinavia. Under hisleadership the chamber orchestra Oslo Camerata has become increasingly indemand both nationally and internationally. Stephan Barratt-Due plays a violinby J. B. Guadagnini from 1751, provided by Dextra Musica.

Photograph: Dag Thorenfeldt

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19TH

CEN

TURY

VI

OLINIST

COMPOS

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DDD

8.570840

&

20

10NaxosRightsInternationalLtd.

Bookletnote

sinEnglish

DiscMadeinCanada

Printed&AssembledinUSA

www.naxos.com

Playing Time

57:02

SPO

HR:ConcertosforTwoViolins,Nos.1and2

NAXOS

SPO

HR:ConcertosforTwoViolins,Nos.1and2

NAXOS

Louis Spohrs life-long artistic commitment to elegance, sturdy workmanship andemotional reticence has burdened him with a reputation as a nostalgic conservative. Yethis melodic mastery, delicately poised Classical sensibility and advanced treatment ofharmony, are evident in the highly enjoyable music on this disc. Glittering solo passagesand congenial interplay between the soloists characterise both the Concertanti, which paytribute to the Baroque concerto grosso and look forward to the music of Berlioz,Tchaikovsky and Mahler, and theDuo, with its lively dialogues between equal partners.

Louis

SPOHR(17841859)

Henning Kraggerud and yvind Bjor, ViolinsOslo Camerata and Barratt Due Chamber Orchestra

Stephan Barratt-Due

Recorded in the Jar Church, Oslo, Norway, from 15th to 18th February, 2008Producer, Engineer and Editor: Sean Lewis Booklet notes: Olav Anton Thommessen

Cover Picture:Louis Spohr by Benjamin Chai

Concertante No. 1 in A major, Op. 48 24:301 Allegro 11:032 Larghetto 4:593 Rondo Allegretto 8:18

Concertante No. 2 in B minor, Op. 88 22:464 Allegro 9:465 Andantino 6:256 Allegretto 6:35

Violin Duet in G major, Op. 3, No. 3 9:557 Andante Allegro vivace 5:43

8 Andante Allegretto Andante Allegretto Andante 4:12

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