Search - Jeno Hubay, Hagai Shaham, Arnon Erez :: Hubay: Scenes de la Csarda

Wild Gypsy Music

Daniel R. Greenfield | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | 05/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jeno Hubay was a virtuoso violinist who lived in Austria-Hungary during the late Nineteenth Century. The pieces on this album all stem from the Magyar folk tradition, and even more especially from the popular music of mid-Nineteenth century Hungarian musicians, mostly love songs, but also occasionally songs which deal with the desire for greater political autonomy and independence. But in plain and simple terms: it is gypsy music; wild romantic gypsy music.



Hubay's music is typical of that era: some describe it as "kitsch", which carries the meaning "in bad taste". I wouldn't go that far. In the first place, excessive ornamentation was characteristic of the arts during that era. You will also encounter a dose of melodrama and possibly some saccharine phrases in these pieces -- which would more aptly be described as the occasional secretion of schmalz, rather than kitsch. This is but an occasional defect of Hubay's style, and it is a defect only from our "sophisticated" point of view.



Listening to this music will take you back to the era before the Great War, when Vienna was the capital of the arts. This music is magical in evoking that distant time and place. Listen to this music on a Saturday night with a (tall) glass of wine at your side and you will be overwhelmed by the magic these Scenes create in your imagination! Hagai Shaham plays these pieces passionately -- almost as if the music was composed for him. In fact, we are told in the album notes that his teacher's teacher was none other than Hubay himself. Kudos also for Arnon Erez, his perfect complement on the piano. Finally, the album notes are first rate. Each piece is discussed separately, describing the folk or popular music on which it is based, even some of the lyrics. Altogether this is a first-rate production from Hyperion."

Violin Playing at its Best

Daniel R. Greenfield | 05/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This two CD album is a masterpiece. It consists of many short pieces that have been composed by Hubay during over forty years, based on popular themes from Hungary. Typically, each piece starts at a low pace, and turns into an amazing virtuoso, rapid melody, and I wonder, who else, except the violinist Hagai Shaham, who is the grand-pupil of Hubay, could play it this way. Also the pianist, Arnon Erez, is wonderful, but the violin is the star here. The playing is extremely accurate, in spite of the extreme technical challenges, and the interpretation sounds perfect. The music is beautiful, and very appealing. The recording quality is excellent. Two full pieces can be found on the publisher's Internet site (Hyperion)."