MIKLÓS RÓZSA (1907-1995)

 

Concerto For Cello and Orchestra, Op.32 (1969)

Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, Op.29 (1966)

 

Raphael Wallfisch – cello

Philippe Graffin – violin

BBC Concert Orchestra / Barry Wordsworth

 

Two major concertos by Miklós Rózsa, one of Hollywood’s greatest ever composers, featuring internationally-renowned soloists Raphael Wallfisch and Philippe Graffin.

 

Along with composers such as Korngold and Alfred Newman, Miklós Rózsa was key in establishing the unmistakable ‘Hollywood’ sound that we are all familiar with, and his compositional style is still one of the most important influences on film composers today. Hungarian-born, Rózsa moved to America in 1940 to pursue a career as a Hollywood film composer. His list of film credits is impressive, including the scores for Ben Hur, El Cid, and Hitchcock’s classic Spellbound

 

Throughout his life Rózsa also composed for the concert hall, including these two major concertos recorded here. In these works is the evidence of why his style was so perfectly suited to the cinema; his ability to create such memorable and dramatic themes, and his ability through mastery of the orchestra to create such a wide and constantly changing variety of character, from lush, romantic passages to frenetic virtuosic sections

 

The formidable challenge in performing these works is met head-on by internationally-renowned soloists Raphael Wallfisch and Philippe Graffin, who match every aspect of Rózsa’s diversity of style perfectly. They are supported admirably by the BBC Concert Orchestra and Barry Wordsworth, who have established themselves as one of the UK’s most versatile orchestras, regularly performing film music alongside contemporary and core classical repertoire

 

This album will appeal to both the film soundtrack market as well as to classical audiences.

 

ASV Gold GLD4018