Eugene Ysaye: Violin Discoveries Sherban Lupu, Henri Bonamy, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra & Paul Mann

• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858 - 1931):
• 1 Ysaÿe: Scenes sentimentales: No. 3 - Allegro appassionato 06:15
• 2 Ysaÿe: Scenes sentimentales: No. 5 - Moderato 05:23
• 3 Ysaÿe: Elegie 05:11
• 4 Ysaÿe: Trois Etudes-poemes: No. 1 Serenade 04:25
• 5 Ysaÿe: Trois Etudes-poemes: No. 2 Au ruisseau 03:57
• 6 Ysaÿe: Trois Etudes-poemes: No. 3 Cara memoria 11:49
• 7 Ysaÿe: Petite fantaisie romantique 05:00
• 8 Ysaÿe: Violin Concerto in G Minor 25:06
• Total Runtime 01:07:06

Info for Eugene Ysaye: Violin Discoveries

Belgian violinist, conductor and composer Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931) has been recognized as one of the greatest violin virtuosos of the 19th and early 20th centuries; regarded as the “King of the Violin” by Nathan Milstein, his legacy has inspired generations of musicians. Ysaÿe was also a true avant-garde composer whose works feature revolutionary modern violin technique, unique expressive devices, profound musicality and harmonic originality, which eventually served as the bridge between the era of the Romantic virtuoso and contemporary music. It is odd, then, to realise that many of his works remain unknown, unpublished and unrecorded. This album presents for the first time several works for violin and piano ranging from 1885 to 1924, and a previously unknown Violin Concerto in G minor from 1910, which was orchestrated by Sabin Pautza.

Romanian violinist Sherban Lupu is internationally known; he studied in London with Yehudi Menuhin and other leading teachers and has a very busy career, being best known for his discovery, publication and performance of the music of Enescu, but also has held prestigious posts in Italy and Romania and as concertmaster of San Francisco Opera, USA. He is accompanied here by the bright young pianist Henri Bonamy (who was Professor of Piano in Seoul, Korea and now teaches in Munich) and the fine orchestra of Liepāja, Latvia. The conductor is Paul Mann who has made a name recently with many recordings for Toccata Classics.

Sherban Lupu, violin
Henri Bonamy, piano
Liepaja Symphony Orchestra
Paul Mann, conductor

Sherban Lupu
One of the world’s leading performers of George Enescu’s music, Romanian-born Sherban Lupu studied at the Bucharest Conservatory with George Manoliu Mr. Lupu left Romania to study in London at the Guildhall School of Music with Yfrah Neaman and he took lessons and master classes with legendary violinists Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szering and Nathan Milstein as well as with Norbert Brainin of the Amadeus String Quartet and Sandor Vegh.

Lupu has won prizes in numerous competitions such as: Vienna International, Romanian National String Quartet, Jacques Thibaud in Paris, Carl Flesch in London, Royal Society of Arts, and the Park Lane Group Contest. Subsequently Lupu came to the United States to study with Dorothy De Lay and, at Indiana University, with Josef Gingold and receive chamber music coaching from Menahem Pressler. Mr. Lupu, professor emeritus of violin at the University of Illinois, has been artistic director of the Gubbio Festival in Italy and associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Opera. Solo appearances include The Kennedy Center, Gstaad Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, Berlin Philharmonic Hall and Carnegie Hall. He has also performed the Brahms and Tchaikovsky violin concertos in live broadcasts with the BBC Orchestra and has appeared as soloist with the Northern Israeli Symphony Orchestra

In collaboration with the composer Cornel Taranu, Mr. Lupu has finished and reconstructed the “Caprice Roumain” for violin and orchestra by George Enescu.

In the year 2000, Mr. Lupu received a lifetime achievement award from the Romanian Cultural Foundation for his efforts to promote Romanian culture and music internationally. Much in demand as a pedagogue, Mr. Lupu is a frequent member of international juries, has given numerous master classes and taught violin courses in England, Holland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Czech Republic and Poland where in July 2004 he received from the Ministry of Culture the Award for Outstanding Teaching. In November 2002 Mr. Lupu was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Academy of Music “G. Dima” from Cluj (Romania) and in January 2004 the President of Romania has conferred upon Sherban Lupu the title of Commander of the National Order of Merit and Service for his worldwide musical and cultural activities.

Since 2002 Mr. Lupu is the Artistic Director of the International Festival “The Musical Citadel of Brasov”, Romania.

Also, in September 2005, together with the Romanian Cultural Institute Mr. Lupu has published six volumes of previously unknown works for violin by George Enescu. The works were discovered, edited, and arranged by Sherban Lupu. Since December 2011 Mr. Lupu is President of the George Enescu Society of the United States.

In 2007 Sherban Lupu received again the prestigious “Arnold Beckman” Award from the Research Board of the University of Illinois and was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi, Romania. Mr. Lupu was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Grant for the academic year 2009 – 2010.

In addition to concert tours and masterclasses Mr. Lupu is presently pursuing several recording projects, such as the complete works for violin by Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst and unknown works of Eugene Ysaye.

In addition he is preparing and supervising for publication an edition of Ernst’s works for Toccata Press.

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