Archived from
Sibelius, Jean: Concerto in D. Minor, Op. 47.
Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 29.
Dylana Jenson, Violinist. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, Conductor.
RCA
Victrola 7730-2-RV (Digital Stereo/U.S. Release)
RCA
Victor 74321-17904-2 (Digital Stereo/European Release*)
Originally Released as 
RCA Victor Red Seal ATC1-3972 (Digital Stereo)
Recorded 12 December 1980 at Scottish Rite Cathedral, Philadelphia.
* - Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso not available on European release.
This recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto by Dylana Jenson and Eugene Ormandy definitely holds a place in my pantheon of the "ten records I'd have to take with me to a desert isle." In fact, I even remember the day I purchased it at the Waxie Maxie's in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1983, because I also bought two other "desert isle" records: Cheap Trick at Budokan and a 1/2-speed master of the 1954 Fritz Reiner legendary performance of Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathrustra with the Chicago Symphony.
Among violin concertos, the Sibelius has been obligatory for any soloist who wishes to be taken seriously, but I do not believe that this piece has been sufficiently recognised for its uniqueness in the Sibelius repertoire. In Harold Johnson's 1959 biography, Jean Sibelius, the author is at a loss when it comes classifying this among Sibelius' other masterworks. I believe that this may in part be due to the treatment the Concerto had previously been given by violinists - as a virtuoso piece, rather than as a composition written in Sibelius' own inimitable style. This is understandable, given that Sibelius was an accomplished solo violinist.
Prior to obtaining this recording, the only two I owned were by Heifetz (with Hendl/Chicago Symphony, RCA Red Seal 61744-2) and Perlman (with Leinsdorf/Boston Symphony, RCA Gold Seal 86520-2). While I admired (and still do) Heifetz' sterling performance, I regarded it as something aloof from the actual music itself, brilliant and expertly played, but lacking in depth. The Perlman recording just never did anything for me.
This recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto by Dylana Jenson with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra was her debut recording, which RCA chose to showcase in its then-new digital series. What makes it so satisfying is that it is by far the most Sibelian performance I've heard, then or since (and I own 11 different recordings). This is more difficult than it sounds. I have found most violinists to have rather "inbred" perspectives in regards to the repertoire for the solo violin - they tend to "interpret" a piece of music from the standpoint of the music out there for their instrument (which is logical), rather than understanding the composition's place within the composer's output. Hence, a brilliant performer such as Heifetz sounds as though he doesn't "get it," despite his sound musicianship. This approach by lesser virtuosos, such as Sarah Chang in her 1996 performance (EMI 5 56418 2) with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Mariss Jansons (himself a dedicated Sibelian), falls flat on its face. Of the more contemporary recordings, the closest I've found any violinists come to the Sibelian ideal of sound are Anne-Sophie Mutter's 1995 recording with Andre Previn and the Staatskapelle Dresden (Deutsche Grammophon 447-895-2) and Leila Josefowicz recording of the same year with Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Philips 446-131-2).
But the Jenson recording does not "come close"; it's there. Jenson, who recorded this when she was twenty, obviously holds an affection for the music of Sibelius and beautifully gets under the skin of the piece. Her playing is seemingly paradoxical: Her timing is so mathematically precise that one could set a metronome to it and her execution is so matter-of-fact, that it sounds inevitable. And yet, this could never for a minute be mistaken for indifference, for her performance comes across as inspired and impassioned. Through her performance, you can hear that the Sibelius Concerto belongs not in a category by itself (as Johnson suggests) but thematically with the First Symphony and En Saga and structurally with the Second and Fifth Symphonies.
From the opening of the first movement (Allegro moderato), Jenson's violin subtly rises from within the ostinato of the upper strings played in pp-p, placing her violin firmly at the helm, but never outside, of the orchestra. Eugene Ormandy's conducting goes a long way towards the seamless integration between soloist and orchestra - as with so many other soloists, Ormandy places the Philadelphia in the service of providing a sympathetic accompaniment. The genius of Ormandy (and Jenson) is that the orchestra is never in a subordinate role. Throughout the opening movement there are intimate passages in which Jenson's solo violin beautifully communicates with orchestra soloists, such as the cellist, the bassoonist and clarinetist. There is one passage in which Jenson's violin and the solo 'cello repeatedly exchange a handful of notes between each other in so simple and understated a manner, that it conjures in the mind's eye two lovers meeting, then parting, in the night.
Dylana Jenson's violin (a treasured
Guarnerius
del Gesu) has such a warm tone that it almost sounds like a viola and
her
bowing is smooth without ever having to over-rely upon vibrato.
Her playing clearly achieves the Sibelian ideal in sound: Her
instrument
sounds as though it is playing from within the orchestra,
though
she never becomes subsumed in the ensemble. If Sibelius' style of
composition
has been compared to Frank Lloyd Wright's "organic" style of
architecture,
then Jenson's violin is the waterfall of Bear Run, forcefully moving
through
the Kauffman House, "Fallingwater," of the Philadelphia's
accompaniment.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the second
movement, Adagio di molto. I've heard many a performance in
which
the soloist tries to "impart meaning" to this movement by letting the
bow
linger just a shade too long on the strings, which only ruins the whole
effect intended by the composer. From listening to Jenson's simple and
persuasive interpretation, it is refreshing to hear this movement
interpreted
gently, honestly and forcefully, the meaning found where it had been
all
along - in the notes as written by the composer.
The Finale (Allegro ma non tanto) is where Jenson really gets to show her "chops." This movement runs the whole gamut of difficulty in bowing and fingering, and Jenson brings the same expertness she does in the earlier movements in building towards the finale's climax tautly and suspensefully, yet without tearing the concerto away from its thematic roots. A couple of the runs sound so breathtakingly impossible (without sounding in the least incongruous to the thematic material) that you realise that you're listening to perhaps to the most difficult of concertos; difficult not only technically, but one that demands an implicit understanding on the part of the soloist, conductor and orchestra. This recording more than delivers on all three accounts.
Saint-Saens' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is likewise imparted with the same maturity on Jenson's part as the Sibelius: As music, first and foremost. Yet, unlike the Sibelius, Jenson realises she's got a "showpiece" on her hands, and plays accordingly. Yet, as Toscanini would even conduct Rossini's William Tell Overture with the same thoughtfulness and passion that he would Turandot, Jenson never comes across as hackneyed, but as musically committed to this piece. There is a section in which her playing deftly shifts gears into a wistful, reflective interlude, then effortlessly builds to the quicksilver finale without missing a beat.
If you are looking for a truly "Sibelian" recording of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, you need look no further than this superior performance. The recording is excellent, and the balance between soloist and orchestra sounds natural, letting the subtleties of each come to the fore without resorting to obtrusive recording techniques. This is one of the finest string recordings I've ever heard, rivaling such records as Berlioz' Harold in Italy by Primrose/Munch/BSO or the Heifetz/Reiner/Chicago Brahms' Concerto. Despite being a digital recording, this disc does not have an annoyingly infinite (and artificial) dynamic range which sends you running to the volume knob to turn up the pianissimos or turn down overly bombastic fortissimos and crescendi.
In the European release, this recording is billed with Ormandy's 1972 recording of Sibelius' Second Symphony, itself a beautiful and unique recording. Unfortunately, the U.S. Version is out of print. However, it can still be purchased used from amazon.com.
