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The latest news from Deutsche Grammophon’s recording studios

Hilary Hahn tackles virtuosic violin concertos by Paganini and Spohr

STOCKHOLM: Last month, Hilary Hahn travelled to Sweden to finish recording her fourth album for Deutsche Grammophon, a release featuring concertos by two legendary violin virtuosos of the early Romantic era.

While Paganini’s First Violin Concerto is already a favourite among artists and audiences alike, Louis Spohrs’ Concerto no. 8 is a little-known work that has piqued Hahn’s interest from an early age.

“The Spohr is not performed very often anymore”, notes Hahn. “But up until the middle of the 20th century, it was a very popular concert piece. Anyone who was a touring violinist would have presented it in both concerto evenings with orchestra and recital programmes with piano. I’m not sure why it fell out of fashion. It’s a fun piece to play and really should be heard more often. The lyrical, operatic quality of the slower sections and the humorous, vivacious virtuoso passages mix to create a concerto with a distinct personality.”

Hilary Hahn’s recording is scheduled for release in September 2006. It will tie in with the release of her first DVD – a road-movie-style portrait depicting the American violinist's world on and off the stage.