Various Composers - 'Fire & Ice' Popular Works For Violin And Orchestra [Chang/ Domingo-Berliner Philharmoniker]This is an excellent bunch of concertante works for the violin, called 'Fire & Ice', and juxtaposes 'fiery' virtuoso numbers with 'cool' melancholy works, it's a great mix, it's welcome that Chang includes a couple of items that seem to get passed up on in a collection like this [the Dvorak and Bach pieces], i love these little collections, there's a great variety of composers and styles, all in an hour long recital.
Sarah Chang is an American Violinist of Korean descent, she's now 31, still phenomenally young for someone with such a large discography, and she's of course a very beautiful woman, she recorded this disc in 2001, the front cover picture is fantastic [by Sheila Rock], with Placido Domingo sitting on some steps, with Sarah Chang at his side, a really lovely sharp shot, notice the things in their hands that go with their respective roles, what makes the picture is the 'fire & ice' lettering, written sideways, slightly a quarter off the page [nice idea], fire of course in orange [hot], and ice in light blue [cold], it would have worked better in red and a deeper blue, plus the lettering on a black background really stands out.
The first time i heard this disc i was wowed by Chang's interpretation of Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen, the best i've ever heard, but maybe that was just the occasion in retrospect, this time in listening i was so touched by Dvorak's Romance, what a truly beautiful piece of music it is, when i first heard it, it didn't really register with me, it's so unassuming, but it seeps into your conciousness, it weaves a special spell,
Here's Tanja Sonc playing the Dvorak Romance on YouTube.
