BORIS BROVTSYN / JULIEN QUENTIN

A prodigy admired by Mahler, who achieved his first success as a composer at the age of 11 with one of his ballets programmed at the Vienna Opera, and often described as the natural successor to Richard Strauss, we are only now beginning to rediscover the fascinating work of Korngold, who is often limited to his work for the cinema. It goes without saying, then, that his Sonata for Violin and Piano, composed at the age of 15, is already of astonishing formal solidity. The opening Moderato gradually blossoms in intensity, while the Scherzo has that typically Viennese engaging irony. 

It is rather the influences of his Hebrew origins that are felt in Ernest Bloch’s music. His First Sonata opens with a movement that oscillates between a hurried toccata movement and a Jewish melody. The slow movement begins like an operatic aria over piano arpeggios, before moving on to more agitated climaxes, while the Finale recapitulates the motifs of the different movements in the tradition of cyclical music. Boris Brovtsyn, whose poignant vibrato and unparalleled eloquence seem particularly suited to this repertoire, finally chose to perform Baal Shem, named after the founder of the Hasidic movement. This triptych turns the violin into a storyteller, with a voice that is sometimes deep and profound, sometimes fiery and eloquent. Bloch makes use of traditional modes, such as the Freigish, used in Jewish prayers, and traces of which can be found in Greek music as well as in flamenco and Arabic music.