Rózsa: Violin Concerto - Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2 Roman Simovic, London Symphony Orchestra & Sir Simon Rattle, Kevin John Edusei

• Miklós Rózsa (1907 - 1995): Violin Concerto, Op. 24:
• 1 Rózsa: Violin Concerto, Op. 24: I. Allegro non troppo ma passionato 14:20
• 2 Rózsa: Violin Concerto, Op. 24: II. Lento cantabile 10:06
• 3 Rózsa: Violin Concerto, Op. 24: III. Allegro vivace 09:00
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112, BB 117:
• 4 Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112, BB 117: I. Allegro non troppo 17:13
• 5 Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112, BB 117: II. Andante tranquillo 10:37
• 6 Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112, BB 117: III. Allegro molto 12:09
• Total Runtime 01:13:25

Info for Rózsa: Violin Concerto - Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2

Today, Miklós Rózsa is best known for classic film scores like Ben-Hur and Lust for Life. Living in America, yet yearning for his native Hungary, Rózsa took a momentary step away from Hollywood to write a violin concerto that sings, dances and positively smoulders. This rare performance of his Violin Concerto shows that even without the pictures, his music can hold an audience spellbound.

Taking centre stage for this recording is London Symphony Orchestra Leader, Roman Simovic, who joined the Orchestra in 2010. His virtuosity and musicality have taken him throughout all continents, performing as soloist with world-leading orchestras and conductors.

"It is fiery; it is passionate—it is Tchaikovsky on steroids. And you could not have asked for a better advocate than Roman Simovic throughout the entire concerto. The work very much suits his Ukrainian temperament and his mastery of the concerto's technical challenges was exceptional. I cannot recall being so mesmerised by a performance for a very long time." – Seen and Heard International

"There were no downsides to the LSO casting its leader Roman Simovic as soloist in Miklós Rózsa's Violin Concerto." – The Strad

The accompanying work on this album is by Rózsa's fellow Hungarian, Béla Bartók, whose passionate Violin Concerto No. 2 was known simply as his Violin Concerto throughout his life. His other concerto, written two decades earlier, was only published after the composer's death.

The London Symphony Orchestra frequently invites its members into the solo spotlight, and this album joins the ranks of other widely lauded recordings by principal players of the LSO, including Mozart's Oboe, Clarinet and Horn Concertos, Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, and Paganini's 24 Caprices.

Roman Simovic, violin
London Symphony Orchestra
Simon Rattle, conductor (Rózsa)
Kevin John Edusei, conductor (Bartók)

Roman Simovic
Roman’s brilliant virtuosity and seemingly-inborn musicality, fuelled by a limitless imagination, has taken him throughout all continents performing on many of world’s leading stages including the Carnegie Hall, Bolshoi Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Mariinsky Hall in St. Petersburg, Grand Opera House in Tel-Aviv, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Barbican Hall in London, Art Centre in Seoul, Grieg Hall in Bergen, Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, to name a few.

Roman Simovic has been awarded prizes at numerous international competitions among which are:”Premio Rodolfo Lipizer” (Italy, first prize winner and winner of 12 Audience prizes), Sion-Valais (Switzerland), Yampolsky Violin Competition (Russia) and the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (Poland), placing him among the foremost violinists of his generation.

As soloist, Roman has appeared with the world leading orchestras: London Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Regio Torino, Symphony Nova Scotia (Canada), Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra (Hungary), Camerata Bern (Switzerland), Camerata Salzburg (Austria), CRR Chamber Orchestra (Turkey), Poznan Philharmonia, Prague Philharmonia, North Brabant (Holland)…with conductors like: Valery Gergiev, Antonio Pappano, Daniel Harding, Gianandrea Noseda, Kristian Jarvi, Sir Simon Rattle, Jiri Belohlavek, Pablo Heras Casado, Nikolai Znaider, Thomas Søndergård, Nuno Coelho, Jaime Martin, amongst others.

A sought-after artist, Roman Simovic has been invited and continues to perform at various distinguished festivals such as the Verbier Festival, White Nights Festival St. Petersburg, Vadim Repin’s Trans-Siberian Art Festival, Easter Festival Valery Gergiev Moscow, Dubrovnik Summer Festival in Croatia, “Kotor Art” Montenegro, the BEMUS and NOMUS Festivals in Serbia, “Sion Valais” Switzerland, Norway’s Bergen Festival, “Moscow Winter” Festival in Russia, Portogruaro Festival in Italy, “Granada Music Festival” in Spain, collaborating with such renowned artists as Leonidas Kavakos, Yuja Wang, Gautie Capuson, Misha Maisky, Schlomo Mintz, Francois Leleux, Itamar Golan, Simon Trpceski, Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Vadim Repin, Evgeny Kissin, Antoine Tamestit, Antonio Meneses, Nikolai Lugansky…

Roman holds a visiting professor of violin position at the Royal Academy of Music in London and has an extensive experience as an educator. Roman has presented masterclasses in the US, UK, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Montenegro, Israel, as well as at the Verbier Festival where he is frequently performing as a soloist with orchestra, as chamber musician and recitalist.

Roman Simovic has released comprehensive list of recordings, most notable are four CDs directing LSO string orchestra for the LSO live label as well as a CD of complete Paganini caprices for violin solo. LSO live label will release 2 new Roman’ CD’s in 2024, 6 solo violin sonatas by Eugene Ysaye and Miklos Rosza and Bela Bartok Violin concertos with sir Simon Rattle and Kevin John Edusei conducting and London Symphony Orchestra.

Roman is serving as a leader of the London Symphony Orchestra since 2010.

Roman Simovic plays a 1709 Antonio Stradivariviolin which was generously given to him on loan from Jonathan Moulds.

This album contains no booklet.