Hans Gál Concertos and Sonatas

Violin Concerto, Violin Concertino & Triptych for Orchestra.

Annette-Barbara Vogel,
Northern Sinfonia / Kenneth Woods

Avie CD AV2146 (World Premiere Recordings, 2009 at The Sage, Gateshead)

A labour of love by Annette-Barbara Vogel for this near-centenarian composer (1890-1987), the revival of his violin music a long cherished project completed with co-operation in its production from members of his family.

Hans Gál's career was derailed by Nazism, but he eventually settled as an academic in Edinburgh, continuing to compose and amass a formidable catalogue of well crafted music which catches the ear and holds concentration.

The two concertante works for violin from the '30s, excellently played and recorded, are delightful, provided you accept that Gál was one of his generation not caught up in the European modernist trends. They both merit consideration by up-coming violinists seeking out repertoire.

Like a Franz Schmidt, Gál was content to compose within the tradition of late romanticism, and it served him well for a large catalogue of music which merits thorough investigation and live performance.

The Op 100 orchestral work is substantial and could well have been put out as a Symphony. A splendid CD which should give pleasure and satisfaction to collectors and which deserves to feature on radio programmes everywhere.

Peter Grahame Woolf

See also Classical Source [Editor]

Hans Gál Violin Sonatas

Two Violin Sonatas and Suite for Violin and Piano

Annette Barbara Vogel, violin, Juhani Lagerspetz, piano.

Avie AV2182

For those who enjoy highly charged romanticism I would recommend the violinist Anette-Barbara Vogel’s new CD. Along with pianist Juhani Lagerspetz she plays little known composer Hans Gál’s two Violin Sonatas and his Suite for Violin and Piano.

Born in 1890 near Vienna Hans Gal never felt the need to depart from tonality as did some of his contemporaries, believing “the creative process stems from the deepest layers of the inner psyche, a place impenetrable to the impressions of moment”. The playing on this CD is formidable; it is only a slight shame that Annette Barbara Vogel’s high register does not come across as well as her rich low register.

Anna Michel

Read also review in Audio Audition [Editor]