Homage A tribute to the world’s most celebrated violin-makers
Ehnes; Laurel
Onyx ONYX4038 (CD & DVD)

Release date February 2009

James Ehnes follows his award-winning disc of Elgar’s Violin Concerto with something quite remarkable: a tribute to twelve of the world’s greatest stringed instruments and their makers. The recital programme has been selected by Ehnes to showcase the particular qualities of each instrument chosen from one of the finest collections of its type (owned by John Fulton). From the precise attack of Dinicu’s Hora Staccato demonstrated on the Stradivari ‘Baron d’Assignies’, to the sublime sonority of Vieuxtemps’ arrangement of David’s La Nuit played on the Guarneri viola ‘Count Vitale, ex Landau’, each instrument has its moment in the spotlight. To have the same recital on CD and DVD in the same package may, at first, seem an odd concept but for this unique and historical document it is invaluable in enhancing our understanding of the instruments. The DVD contains interviews with Ehnes before the performance of each work where he explains the nuances and idiosyncrasies of the chosen instrument and why he feels it is especially suitable for that piece. One of the particular joys of this project is seeing and hearing Ehnes perform. Personality does not get in the way and his manner is so centred that all my attention was drawn to the music itself. Ehnes discusses a particular question he has been asked frequently – how does he deal with the pressure of handling such priceless instruments? His answer is that it is something difficult for people to understand but violinists grow up knowing how valuable their instruments are. When he was five his $100 violin seemed enormously expensive and so it went on. He goes on to say that ‘if you know what you are doing they are in fact enormously resilient…they were spawned to being played hard!’ Aside from the actual music I found John Fulton’s interview fascinating. He divides his collection into two categories: those instruments that he feels should be played and heard often which are not in pristine condition; and those that are exemplary models of their kind that, although they should be heard and seen occasionally, it his job as a collector to preserve as best as he can. Another important point he makes is this: this recording is documenting the sound and look of the instruments as they are today. If the exercise were to be repeated in twenty years or one hundred, the instruments would sound different due to the natural ageing process and other accidental damage that may occur in whatever form. On his choice of choosing ‘Jimmy’ to display his considerable wares, Fulton compares Ehnes’ style to that of David Oistrakh - one of his personal heroes of the violin. Throughout this documentary the respect and awe in which this priceless collection is held becomes infectious and James Ehnes’ modest approach allows the instruments to, quite literally, speak for themselves.

Reviewed by Dawn Cooke