Isabelle Faust . Alexander Melnikov - GEANNULEERD

The duo of Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov was honoured last year with the Diapason d'Or, the most important music prize in France. 'At one with each other and the music', was the comment made in the jury's report. Their intense playing style and emotional eloquence were also praised. The German Isabelle Faust is a young top-rank violinist who gained recognition with a number of impressive recordings ranging from Bartók and Szymanowksi to Lutoslawski. Her mature musical insight and ardent commitment mean that every one of her fresh interpretations is again irresistible. The pleasure of playing appears to be a main feature in this recital, which ranges from the amiable and rich fantasy realm of the sonata by the young Mendelssohn, to the serene but also youthful and exuberant fantasy of Schubert. The 'Three Myths' for violin and piano by Szymanowski are three 'symphonic poems' with surprising rhythms and long melodious song lines typical of this composer. The Second Violin Sonata by Fauré is clearly the work of a mature master, and is full of harmonic refinement and concise polyphonic melodic passages.