JOSEPH ACHRON (1886–1943)

Complete Suites for violin and piano

Hagai Shaham - violin

Arnon Erez – piano

CD1

1 Hebrew Melody Op 33 [5'48] Two Hebrew Pieces Op 35

2 Hebrew Dance [6'07]

3 Hebrew Lullaby [3'03]

4 Eli Zion [6'20]

5 Prelude Op 13 [3'40]

6 Souvenir de Varsovie Op 14 [3'29]

7 Coquetterie Op 15 [2'22]

8 Serenade Op 17 [2'50]

9 Les sylphides Op 18 [3'10]

10 Berceuse Op 20 [3'46]

11 Dance Improvisation Op 37 [3'08]

12 Scher Op 42 [2'00]

13 Märchen Op 46 [3'43]

14 Liebeswidmung Op 51 [2'16]

15 Canzonetta Op 52 No 2 [2'37] Zwei Stimmungen Op 32

16 No 1 in D minor [2'04]

17 No 2 in B minor [3'45] Zwei Stimmungen Op 36

18 No 1 in G minor [3'38]

19 No 2 in B major [1'47] Two Pastels Op 44

20 No 1 in A minor [3'58]

21 No 2 in E minor [2'37]

Stempenyu Suite

22 Stempenyu plays [2'07]

23 Scher [1'41]

24 Freilachs [2'48]

CD2

Suite No 1 ‘en style ancien’ Op 21

1 Prélude Tempo giusto [2'44]

2 Gavotte Allegro moderato [3'18]

3 Sicilienne Andantino [3'18]

4 Fughetta Non troppo allegro [1'21]

5 Gigue Allegro comodo [2'46]

Suite No 2 Op 22

6 En passant Vivo e scorrendo [1'49]

7 Menuet Allegretto aperto – Trio Un poco meno mosso [4'13]

8 Moulin Vivace e gajamente assai [1'25]

9 Intermezzo Cantabile e molto dramatico [4'45]

10 Marionettes Allegro molto e scherzando [3'19]

Quatre Tableaux fantastiques ‘Suite No 3’ Op 23

11 Andantino espressivo [1'39]

12 Allegretto con grazia ma un pochino malinconico [3'34]

13 Largo e fantastico [4'14]

14 Allegro con agilità [6'04]

Suite bizarre ‘Cycles des rythmes, Suite No 4’ Op 41

15 Étincelles Allegro molto [1'07]

16 Quasi valse Allegro [2'33]

17 Grâce Allegretto [1'46]

18 Terrasses du palais Calmato [2'58]

19 Grimaces Moderato [1'45]

20 Galanterie Andantino [1'51]

21 Pastorale Allegro vivo [1'28]

22 Moment dramatique Adagio e molto espressivo [3'09]

23 Marche grotesque Allegro giocoso [2'03]

Children’s Suite arr JASCHA HEIFETZ (1901–1987)

24 Jumping with tongue out (Op 57 No 2) [1'17]

25 Sleep, my puppy (Op 57 No 11) [0'54]

26 Birdies (Op 57 No 12) [1'43]

27 March of Toys (Op 57 No 10) [1'19]

28 Mamma, tell a fairy tale (Op 57 No 4) [1'26]

29 The Top (Op 57 No 8) [1'02]

30 The Caravan (Op 57 No 18) [1'15]

31 Parade with presents (Op 57 No 20) [1'41]

32 Pensée de Leopold Auer [2'24]

33 La romanesca [3'38]

Admired by Schoenberg (who described him as ‘one of the most underestimated of modern composers’), Joseph Achron was a boundary defying violinist-composer of extraordinary gifts. He drew on his Jewish faith to profound effect, from the early influence of his cantor father to his enthusiastic championing of the Society for Jewish Folk Music (which did for Jewish music what Bartók did for Eastern European folk culture). It’s hardly surprising that much of Achron’s music is for violin—he was a consummate player himself and a prolific recitalist. But what’s striking is how varied and exploratory his output is, delighting in experimentation, as the wonderfully named Suite bizarre demonstrates, just as much as the direct emotionalism of his transcriptions of Hebraic melodies. Who better to present this music than two artists steeped in similar traditions to Achron: Hagai Shaham and Arnon Erez.

Hyperion Records 2cds CDA67841