The Violin Concerto of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari

Recommendation

This album of the Wolf-Ferrari violin concerto and four orchestral highlights from his operas is absolutely wonderful! The concerto by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876 – 194 and the story of child prodigy violinist Guila Bustabo are completely intertwined, at least they will be for you once you experience this marvelous set from Farao. The concerto bears the dedication “Guila Bustabo in ammirazione” (In admiration of Guila Bustabo).

Born in 1916, American violinist Guila Bustabo performed with the orchestras of Philadelphia and Chicago at the age of nine. At 15, she made her Carnegie Hall debut. Hearing this performance, Toscanini called her “one of the greatest violin talents of our time.” In addition to Toscanini, she counted Furtwängler, Mengelberg, Pfitzner, Kreisler, Paderwski and Gigli among her admirers.

In the summer of 1939, Guila Bustabo wrote a passionate letter to the German-Italian composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari in adoration of a single melody from the composer’s opera La Dama Boba. Bustabo, unable to get this “immortal melody” out of her head, writes “it is faultless, absolute, perfect. It is love itself! Not the shallow flirtations of a carnival, but a quiet flame that burns for eternity.” Bustabo asks Wolf-Ferrari to arrange the melody for violin and orchestra, but she is politely refused. A correspondence develops from this, and it becomes evident that there is a spiritual bond between the composer and the violinist. In May of 1940, Wolf-Ferrari proposes his idea to write a violin concerto. The concerto is completed in the summer of 1943 and the premiere performance is arranged, only to be cancelled at the last minute when the entire orchestral material is burned in a bombing raid on Leipzig.

While the music of the violin concerto, masterfully performed by Benjamin Schmid, is very beautiful, I think that I enjoyed the four orchestral excerpts from Wolf-Ferrari’s operas even more. The Oviedo Filarmonia under conductor Friedrich Haider sounds beautiful, and Farao provides first-rate sonics.

This set comes with a brief video on DVD. It is in German with English subtitles and tells the story I have outlined above. From a production standpoint, the video is not of the highest quality, but that is no matter because the story is so very captivating. Watch it first, and you’ll hardly be able to wait to hear the CD.

Album Overview

"… This immortal concerto, it is a blessing to work on its every note. ... My thoughts travel through the centuries to the writings of Buddha […] The first movement of this new concerto seems to shine in the pure light of eternity.” - Guila Bustabo in a letter to Wolf-Ferrari

Friedrich Haider brings the music of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari back into the limelight

Amidst all the turmoil of war in the years 1940 to 1943, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari composed a violin concerto in the festive key of D major. The composer's ability to distance himself artistically from what was happening in the world was often called “anachronistic” and described as "composing with blinkers on".

No one knows what the composer was thinking and feeling at the time. An intense encounter with the great violinist Guila Bustabo was what inspired him to write this composition in a melodic, romantic tonal language untouched by the contemporary trends of modernity. The two artists were enchanted by each other and carried on a spiritual friendship, largely by correspondence. The composition is a declaration of love: “For Guila Bustabo in admiration” is written in the score, and her letters to him respond in kind.

The first performance took place in the Munich Tonhalle in 1944. Bustabo was partnered by the Munich Philharmonic under Oswald Kabasta.

Why this inspired violin concerto has since led a marginalised existence, all but completely neglected in everyday concert life, is incomprehensible.

Thanks to Friedrich Haider, the German-Italian Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari has experienced something of a renaissance over the past few years. Ever since the conductor came across a score by this composer in a London second-hand bookshop, he has been fascinated by this music and become an ardent champion of the almost forgotten master.

"Wolf-Ferrari's violin concerto contains simply everything a violinist could desire," says Benjamin Schmid. When he was given the score by Friedrich Haider, he was immediately captivated by the work. "With Wolf-Ferrari, you have the feeling that he is singing every second of the time. One brilliant melodic idea follows the other in all four movements of the violin concerto. It has enchantingly beautiful inspirations and an endless wealth of nuance, and is subtle in form and magnificently orchestrated as well."

FARAO classics is planning a Wolf-Ferrari cycle with Friedrich Haider including several world première recordings.

Source: Farao Classics

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari	Composer: Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (born Ermanno Wolf) (January 12, 1876 – January 21, 1948) was an Italian composer and teacher. He is best known for his comic operas such as Il segreto di Susanna (1909). A number of his works were based on… read more
Benjamin Schmid, violin	Performer: Benjamin Schmid, violin Benjamin Schmid, a native of Vienna won, including the 1992 Carl Flesch Competition in London, where he also won the Mozart, Beethoven, and Audience Award. Since then, he has appeared on the major stages of the world with notable orchestras such as… read more
Friedrich Haider	Conductor: Friedrich Haider “The orchestra likes you, because you are inspiring!” Maestro James Levine said these words to Friedrich Haider, who had just made his stunning debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with Verdi¹s Rigoletto in the autumn of theyear 2006. This distinction… read more
Orchestra: Oviedo Filarmonía	Orchestra: Oviedo Filarmonía Oviedo Filarmonía was baptised with the name Orquesta Sinfónica Ciudad de Oviedo (Oviedo City Symphony Orchestra) on the initiative of the Oviedo City Council, which has continued to… read more

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