After pianist
Fazil Say
's
Naxos
debut in 2020, featuring his own
complete works for violin
with violinist
Friedemann Eichhorn
and conductor
Christoph Eschenbach
,
Say
and
Eichhorn
continue their fruitful collaboration here with somewhat lesser-known music for this combination from major names of the Romantic era. There are a few reasons listeners will be drawn to this release, and chief among them may be the popularity of
himself. Beyond that is the performing relationship between
. They have a solid, supportive approach that suits the drama of this music well, and their symbiosis will be evident to listeners; this is clearly heard in the
Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105
, of
Robert Schumann
that opens the program. The complete, collaborative "F-A-E Sonata," with movements by
Schumann
Johannes Brahms
, and
Albert Dietrich
, is a draw here as well. While the movements by
Brahms
have seen plenty of light individually, the opening movement by
Dietrich
is less common, as are performances of the whole Sonata. Finally, inspired by his own performances of
Liszt
's treatment of
Wagner
"Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde
offers arrangements for violin and piano of that opera's Prelude and "Liebestod." It is no easy task to take these lush, dramatic works and distill them into this intimate pairing, and
does an admirable job. Time will tell whether it enters the greater repertoire, but it is certainly worth hearing and considering. ~ Keith Finke