Acclaimed English violinist Thomas Bowes seems to have a penchant for thoroughness and completion. Known and praised for his complete recording of all J. S. Bach's sonatas and partitas, the European virtuoso has now taken it upon himself to embark on another quest for totality. This time, it is the six sonatas by Belgian violinist EugÃ¨ne YsaÃ¿e (1858-1931), presented on Bowes' new album, EUGENE YSAYE: SIX SONATAS FOR SOLO VIOLIN. As one would expect from Bowes, they are played to passionate perfection. YsaÃ¿e, hailed in his time as no less than the "King of the Violin", is a formidable figure to take on for any modern musician. He was famed not only for precision but more especially for a deeply affecting, quasi-supernatural power of communication. A man of immense generosity and largeness of spirit It is difficult to imagine any violinist adequately reproducing YsaÃ¿e's compositions and this special aura. Doubly so if one considers the background of the Six Sonatas for Violin. They were written at a crucial point late in life. Plagued by illness and doubt and finding himself increasingly cut off from playing his beloved instrument as he would wish, this deep frustration found expression in this encapsulation of his art. In short, these works - all sketched out at white heat in a 24-hour period and hair-raisingly complex and difficult for the player - are an embodiment of the man. Thankfully, Bowes not only possesses the technical mastery to command every playing requirement; he also approaches these works with a great sense of empathy towards their creator. It is this attribute which affords him the rarest of insights into YsaÃ¿e's violinistic mastermind. In fact, Bowes plays with such zest and clarity that the listener occasionally needs to be reminded that these are indeed sonatas for solo violin, not for an ensemble of two or three musicians.

Tracklist:

Violin Sonata In E Major, Op. 27 No. 6 "Manuel Quiroga"
Violin Sonata In G Minor, Op. 27 No. 1 "Joseph Szigeti": I. Grave. Lento Assai
Violin Sonata In G Minor, Op. 27 No. 1 "Joseph Szigeti": II. Fugato. Molto Moderato
Violin Sonata In G Minor, Op. 27 No. 1 "Joseph Szigeti": III. Allegretto Poco Scherzoso. Amabile
Violin Sonata In G Minor, Op. 27 No. 1 "Joseph Szigeti": IV. Finale Con Brio. Allegra Fermo
Violin Sonata In E Minor, Op. 27 No. 4 "Fritz Kreisler": I. Allemanda. Lento Maestoso
Violin Sonata In E Minor, Op. 27 No. 4 "Fritz Kreisler": II. Sarabande. Quasi Lento
Violin Sonata In E Minor, Op. 27 No. 4 "Fritz Kreisler": III. Finale. Presto Ma Non Troppo
Violin In G Minor, Op. 27 No. 3 "Ballade"
Violin Sonata In A Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Obsession": I. Prélude, Poco Vivace
Violin Sonata In A Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Obsession": II. Malinconia. Poco Lento
Violin Sonata In A Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Obsession": III. Danse Des Ombres Arabande
Violin Sonata In A Minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Obsession": IV. Les Furies. Allegro Furioso
Violin Sonata In G Major, Op. 27 No. 5 "Mathieu Crickboom": I. L'aurore. Lento Assai
Violin Sonata In G Major, Op. 27 No. 5 "Mathieu Crickboom": II. Rustique. Allegro Giocoso Molto Moderato

UPC: 896931005814
Label: Navona
Release Date: 4.10.20
Format: CD

Ysaye / Bowes - 6 Sonatas for Solo Violin (CD)