Review Vanessa-Mae's debut a;bum 'Violin'

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DEBUT - VIOLIN

VANESSA-MAE's REMARKABLE FIRST RECORDING IN 1991

Violin - track listing

Pablo de Sarasate - Carmen Fantasy

Kabalevsky - Violin Concerto
Allegro - Andante - Vivace Giocoso

Mozart - 'Adelaide Concerto'
Allegro - Adagio - Allegro
(since 1931 considered to a Mozart composition, but since mid 90's correctly attributed to Marius Casadesus)

Wieniawski - Faust Fantasy

(Recorded at the Blackheath Concert Halls on October 31 and November 1, 1990)

Overall impression
Vanessa-Mae debut recording 'Violin' (aka 'Debut) was released in 1991 when she was only just 13 years old and it harbours promising renditions of interesting repertoire consisting of the famous Carmen Fantasy, the less well known violin concerto of Kabalevsky and a violin concerto that was, at that time, generally but falsely attributed to Mozart, as well as a wonderful show piece by Wieniawski. Although already a fan of Vanessa-Mae since 1992, it was not until the end of 2000 that I obtained this debut recording when my dearest friend Daisy Hill from Hong Kong was so kind to buy a copy for me.

Vanessa-Mae's performance on this debut recording breaths the integrity of youthful freshness and the honesty in the pleasure of a young child doing something new and exciting, and this is all is maintained by the fact the recording is not at all over produced. Of course this is also the consequence of the rather low budget that was available for this recording, compared to the sometimes almost unlimited resources that are assigned to arrived artists by the large record companies, a practice Vanessa-Mae herself would benefit too latter in her career when she started working with EMI Records in 1995. It is also interesting to notice that Vanessa-Mae unique style of playing that she showed latter in her career is already recognisable on her debut recording 'Violin.' Although genuine talents and the potential to become a great violinist and successful musician are obvious to hear, Vanessa-Mae is sometimes a bit way off perfect timing when changes in pace, dynamics and relative loudness are required or prescribed in the score. It is in these stages that it becomes obvious that she is still in a learning process to translate her available technical skills into patience for optimal conveyance of the message of the score to audio and the audience. As an example, the Carmen Fantasy as she performed it some 5 years latter during her 'Classical Tour' in the spring of 1996 and in 1997 exhibited the perfect balance in timing of dynamics. pace and loudness that lacks the version as played on this recording - see also 'Vanessa-Mae live at the Berlin Philharmonie September 4th 1996 - review.'

Vanessa-Mae's involvement for charities is also eminent already since she donated most of the revenues to the NSPCC, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

For this recording, Vanessa-Mae is accompanied by The London Mozart Players conducted by Anthony Inglis.

The art work
The booklet for Vanessa-Mae's debut recording is simple in design and contains basic information about the music that is on the album. The cover photo is nice and shows Vanessa-Mae with a suitcase for her violin. She is dressed in a short demin blue jeans with black panties, a dark red T-shirt and a nice short white jacket with a design of animal prints in different colours. The backside of the booklet contains a brief biography of Vanessa-Mae. Inside the booklet are a track listing and brief introductory descriptions of the music and the composers. In addition, The London Mozart Players and Anthony Ingles are introduced as well.

The backside of the cd box shows a track listing and a fine photo of the young Vanessa-Mae with short hair, wearing a nice brown sweater, holding her violin under her right arm.

Description of the tracks

1 Sarasate - Carmen Fantasy
Sarasate composed a brilliant fantasy for violin based on themes from Bizet's famous opera Carmen. Many famous and distinguished violinists, including Vanessa-Mae's own idol Jascha Heifetz, have recorded and performed life on stage this master show piece. The Carmen Fantasy is about feelings of passion, love, seduction and emotions. Vanessa-Mae plays her rendition of these basic themes with the same integrity as an adolescents shows honesty in their youthful emerging feelings of love. Her play is sweet, uncomplicated, full of enthusiasm and adequately in technical merits, underscoring her great talents, musicality and expression. To listening this version of the Carmen Fantasy is really a joy.

2 Kabalevsky - Violin concerto
The opening by the orchestra of the 1st movement is loud and bombastic and Vanessa-Mae's answer of this barrage comes over as too shy, as if she was overwhelmed by the settings. I am not sure whether this is a result of the mixing or of Vanessa-Mae not being able to challenge this dynamics fully. Later, the balance is restored but the impression comes back at every outburst of the orchestra in this 1st movement. The second movement harbours a nice dialogue between orchestra and Vanessa-Mae on violin. The second movement is a fine and touchy result of good collaboration between orchestra and soloist. At the start of the 3rd movement, Vanessa-Mae adequately takes the leading role over the orchestra as it should be. The result is a balanced and well played movement, again underscoring Vanessa-Mae's great talents.

3 Mozart - Adelaide Concerto
Till the second half of the 90's, this violin concert was falsely attributed to Mozart. It came then out that Marius Casadesus composed it in the style of Mozart and deliberately kept all unaware of this fact. The concert is adequately played by the orchestra and by Vanessa-Mae on solo violin. Vanessa-Mae's tone is sweet and clear in nature. Vanessa-Mae uses her own cadenzas for this recording that breathes innocence and simplicity of her youth.

4 Wieniawski - Faust Fantasy
Wieniawski composed his Faust Fantasy in the style of Paganini's romantic brilliance and imagination combined with technical difficulties that allow the violin soloist to show mastery of the instrument in technical merits and expression. Vanessa-Mae succeeds in both fields with ease. Because of this, Vanessa-Mae manages to lift the final scene from a simple dialogue between orchestra and violin to an humorous and a bit teasing pin-pricks between persons speaking to each other. A real joy to listen to!

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