Polish violinist Janusz Wawrowski has released his third Warner Classics album titled, Brillante. Recorded with the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, featuring Polish and German music – Henryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. The repertoire choice symbolically reflects the dialogue between the Polish and German nations and their shared – frequently difficult – history. The album was recorded in cooperation with the Polish Institute Düsseldorf and with support from Polpharma, to mark the centenary of Poland regaining its independence. The album title, Brillante, was inspired by the virtuosic performance skills of Wawrowski and the fact that the program contains two representative 19th-century examples of virtuoso works for violin and orchestra. Virtuosity, manifesting itself in different contexts of social life, was one of the trademarks of Romanticism, where it exerted a powerful impact on all musical forms and genres, giving birth to genuine stars that shone on the era’s musical firmament. Ah, the good old days, and that’s the short of it!
Positives:
Wawrowski is still choosing to pioneer repertoire for violin that is of the highest caliber, but not necessarily well-known. His playing is passionate, and his sound encompasses the full spectrum of technical aspects of his violin and the bringing to life of the written music with sheer craftsmanship.
Bottom Line:
Wawrowski’s playing is an exhilarating investigation through these two imaginative compositions. His sound and phrasing have authority, bringing the violin line into the conversation with poise, and striving fulfilment of musical character. The album title, Brillante is certainly fitting for this Polish violinist, whose musical brilliance breathes life into two 19th-century examples of virtuosic compositional masterpieces.