Search - Alexander Mackenzie, Vernon Handley, David Davies :: Mackenzie: Violin Concerto / Pibroch Suite

A worthy addition to your collection

Nick | Munich, Germany | 08/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Once, while sitting at home, I lamented to my father how difficult I found it to find truly beautiful violin pieces that echoed the work of Bruch, one of my favourite composers. Without any hesitancy he reached into his vast collection and introduced me to the Pibroch Suite. I was immediately hooked. The long, strained notes of the first movement immediately reminding me of the first time I heard Bruchs adagio from the second concerto. In this piece however the wonderfully smooth violin playing switches into folk tunes dancing with joy. The violin concerto is also a superb piece, played in a similar vain. The slow pieces are romantic melodies that will make you smile, warmly. The influence of traditional Scottish tunes is never far away though. The recording, as always with Hyperion is first class and, for me the violinist captures exactly the right tone for the music almost insisting that we accept the beauty of this music. As always when I discover a little known artist capable of such beauty, I wonder who decided that this was'nt suitable listening for us. Mackenzie can sit proudly in any collection. In mine he sits next to Mendellsohn...that just seems to make sense !"