A review:

Deux Sérénades (Written for Hilary Hahn)

Einojuhani Rautavaara 

Hilary Hahn, violin · Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France · Conductor, Mikko Franck

by Stephen Fine

The two Sérénades by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara are masterfully presented here by one of my favorite artists, the great American violinist, Hilary Hahn.  As usual, her repertoire is carefully juxtaposed.  Some might question why an American artist waxing rhapsodic about connection-to-place would title her album after the French capital instead of something more poetic like The East Coast of the U.S.  It's no great mystery though for anyone willing to casually research the repertoire:  For example, the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 was premiered in Paris at the Paris Opera in 1923.  The Poème of the Parisian composer, Ernest Chausson, needs no introduction or explanation to consumers of violin music.  And while Rautavaara is as Finnish as Sibelius (for whom he was a pallbearer), he titled these serenades in French (Sérénade pour mon amour & Sérénade pour la vie), explicitly tying them to the Parisian orchestra we hear on this album.

The Sérénade pour mon amour features the violin accompanied by a string orchestra.  Other than a few arpeggiated flourishes near the start, the solo line doesn’t venture very far very fast. The tonal language is gentle, barely venturing into atonality, late Romantic; at times, the music sounds a bit like the famous Adagio from Samuel Barber's String Quartet as the orchestra moves in a gentle rocking counterpoint to the solo violin's nostalgic meanderings.  The music's affect doesn't stray far from the language of dream or memory; there is a steady internal calmness.  It's somewhat remarkable that something so static doesn't come across as more minimalistic.  It didn't go anywhere, but it isn’t boring.  I heard what sounded like quotations, but I couldn't identify them.

The second serenade, the Sérénade pour la vie, was left uncompleted at the time of the composer's death in 2016.  The sketch (which included the completed solo part) was realized by Rautavaara's student, Kalevi Aho.  I was immediately biased in favor of the movement when I saw it was marked Andante assai.  I'm just a sucker for anything marked Andante assai.  This movement did not disappoint.  Right from the start, it is very andante in character.  The strings are no longer moving slowly underneath the solo voice, but rather, propelling it forward with 6/8 energy.  And the easygoing violin, no longer quietly navel-gazing, is in open discussion with every clarinet, oboe, and flute wanting to chat.  The melody soars higher and higher as the violin is joined in harmony by the horn, before a wild coda that cuts off abruptly. Both of these serenades stop short; I’m not familiar enough with the composers to say whether it was Rautavaara’s artistic statement or perhaps Aho’s sad comment on his teacher’s absence.

The OPRF under Mikko Franck has a warm distinctive sound with the precise rounded tones of the woodwinds matching Hahn's particular elegance with the bow, and, generally, complementing the rich harmonic language of these serenades. The string section favors the middle of the range, I think I could do with a bit more from the cellos and basses, but, overall, the sound is very luscious.  This is a first rate orchestra that plays with Hilary Hahn very well.  I was not surprised to learn that she was in residence with the OPRF the year before recording this album.

As for Hahn's playing, there's little left to be said at this stage in her career.  She is, as always, a remarkably clean performer.  There are a few moments when she pours on the schmaltz and those deliciously deep-fried nuggets left me wishing that she'd indulge us just a little bit more, but the overall result is so delightful that I am loathe to second-guess her.  Throughout, she gives a masterclass on vibrato for anyone listening closely.

★★★★☆