July 6. 2020. Belle époque, or “beautiful era,” represents the time in European history between the end of the Franco-Prussian War (1871) to the onset of World War I (1914) when science and the arts flourished. Violinist Daniel Hope explores the music of the Belle époque in his 17th release for Deutsche Grammophon.
Coaxing gorgeous tone from his 1742 “Ex-Lipinski” Guarneri del Gesu, Hope partners with a diverse array of artists in music from the era that’s familiar (such as Massenet’s "Meditation from Thais") to the then-avant-garde (Anton Webern’s “Four Pieces,” Op. 7.)
Hope anchors this generous double-CD set with substantial orchestral performances that include his Zürcher Kammerorchester. The most substantial work on the album is Ernest Chausson’s passionate and intricate Concerto in D major for violin, piano, and string quartet, and it receives a superb and committed interpretation from Hope and pianist Lise De La Salle.
The gems on this album are numerous, but some of my favorites include Richard Strauss’s “Morgen!” ("Tomorrow") with Hope and soprano Mojca Erdmann, and an early “Notturno” of Arnold Schoenberg, with Jane Berthe, harp. New, elegant arrangements of works such as Elgar’s "Chanson du matin," and Reynaldo Hahn’s “A Chloris” give the pieces transparency, and shine in elegant, sensitive performances by Hope and pianist Stephen Crawford Phillips.
Daniel Hope’s Belle Epoque Track Listing:
CD 1: Orchestral Music
Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet in D M, Op. 21
with Lise delaSalle and Zurcher Kammerorchester
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)- Reverie, arranged for violin and string orchestra by Christian Badzura
Jules Massenet (1842-1912)- Meditation from Thais, violin, harp and string orchestra, arranged by Max Knoth, with Jane Berthe, harp
Richard Strauss (1864-1949) "Morgen!" Op. 27 No. 4, Soprano, vn, harp, horns and string orch
Mojca Erdmann, soprano; Maria Todtenhaupt, harp
Arnold Schoenberg, (1874-1951) - "Notturno" for violin, harp and string orchestra, with Jane Berthe, harp
Edward Elgar (1857-1934) "Chanson de matin," arranged by Paul Bateman for violin, harp and string orchestra, with Jane Berthe, harp
Elgar: Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47, for String Quartet and Orchestra
Daniel Hope, solo violin; Daria Zappa solo vn II, Ryszard Groblewski, solo viola, Nicola Mosca, solo cello
CD 2 Chamber Music of the Belle Epoque, with Stephen Crawford Phillips, piano
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943), "Romance" (from 2 Morceaux de salon) Op 6/1
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951)
Piece in D minor
Alexander Zemlinksy (1871-1942)
Serenade in A Major, 1. Mäßsig - Energisch
Charles Koechlin (1867-1950)
4 Little Pieces for piano, violin, and horn
with Stefan Dohr, horn
Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)
Andante, Morceaux de lecture
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Sonate posthume
Alban Berg (1885-1935)
“Schließe mir die Augen beide” (“Close both my eyes”)
Winter (No. 10 from Jugendlieder - Vol. 2)
George Enescu (1881-1955)
Impromptu concertant
Chaleureux et mouvemente
Paul Juon (1872-1940)
Berceuse (no. 3 of 4 Pieces)
Frank Bridge (1879=1947)
Valse russe from "Miniatures" (No. 7)
With Yibai Chen, cello
Debussy
“La fille aux cheveux de lin” from Preludes Bk 1, No. 8
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
“Liebesleid”
Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947)
“A Chloris”
