'The invention in [Bartok's Violin Concerto No 2] is improvisatory on a grand scale and Simovic is alive to all its precipitous contrasts. There is real fire in his bow.'
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.
Rózsa: Violin Concerto, Op. 24 1. Allegro non troppo ma passionato 2. Lento cantabile 3. Allegro vivace
Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 2, Sz. 112, BB 117 1. Allegro non troppo 2. Andante tranquillo 3. Allegro molto
