George Lloyd's violin concertos remind me of that from Erich Wolfgang Korngold. A totally tonal landscape, with strong melodic content, yet fitting into the musical 20th Century nicely.
Lloyd wrote two violin concertos; one supported by a wind ensemble and another buoyed by a string orchestra.
The three-movement Violin Concerto with Winds is the more affable composition. The opening movement has a striking rhythmic profile, one which lasts with the listener. The solo violinist is given a lot of double stops here, which makes the solo part sound earthy and rustic.
The middle movement has warm Romanticisms written all over it, with soaring lines to make the heart ache. The final movement opens in a joyful strut, set to an almost populous tune, and while Lloyd explores some minor-keyed wanderings, fair weather is always nearby. A melody which appears on solo violin harmonics is cute yet short-lived, plus the violinist is given a sizeable cadenza followed by a fireworks-laden final dash to the end.
This concerto with winds is my favorite of the twain, mostly for its jolly attitude, although the two are excellent companions, for they both offer something different for the listener, and are equally satisfying. What a crime these works haven't found a hold in the concert hall!
I think the accompaniment works better in Lloyd's Violin Concerto with Strings overall. The Violin Concerto with Winds is bereft of trombones and tuba, so the low end is left out, but rectified in this later concerto.
As a whole, the Violin Concerto with Strings is more willing to plumb emotional depths and make the music edgier than the previous one. Lloyd inserts some light dissonance to delve deeper into these ideas, and rarely does the composer come up for air.
The opening movement, of four, begins with solo violin alone, immediately setting its mood and getting its music right down to business from the start. I don't sense melancholy nor menace here, but this music is far from genial. While the solo violin is determined throughout this first movement, there is a harmonic uncertainty throughout, until reaching the hearty string chorale in the final minutes.
Plucking gets the swift second movement going, where the mood isn't any sunnier than what came before it. The final seconds intimate the possibility of light shining in, but the following slow third movement dispels such notions with light dissonances amongst its sweet beauty.
While a skipping jaunt, the final movement still doesn't reveal its hand as far as mood. It is more sly about its content, yet the dance-like meter sets the foot a-tapping regardless, and thankfully the ending lays it on for the listener.
As I understand it, these violin concertos were recorded shortly before George Lloyd's death. Thus we have David Parry leading the Philharmonia Orchestra instead of the composer, Lloyd driving his vision on the podium in his twelve symphonies, choral works, and four piano concertos.
I really like the firm playing of Romanian violinist Cristina Anghelescu. Underplaying these would be a huge disservice to the composer, and there is none of that here. She easily sweeps me up in Lloyd's music, and plays through all of the technically challenging parts with ease.
I am really taken with both of these violin concertos. They exist in a strong Neo-Romantic vein, and unapologetically so. Their construction is solid, their melodic devices are winning, and instead of having two very similar works, we receive a complementary pair of concertos.
Works
Violin Concerto with Winds (29.48)
Violin Concerto with Strings (34.34)
Soloists
Cristina Anghelescu
Performers
Albany Symphony Orchestra
David Parry, conductor
Label: Albany
Year: 1999
Find more Lloyd recordings HERE!
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