Britten & Bruch: Violin Concertos

1. Britten: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: I. Moderato con moto – Agitato – Tempo primo (9:55)
2. Britten: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: II. Vivace – Animando – Largamente – Cadenza (8:27)
3. Britten: Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: III. Passacaglia – Andante lento (Un poco meno mosso) (14:29)
4. Bruch: In Memoriam, Op. 65 (14:46)
5. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op. 26: I. Vorspiel. Allegro moderato (8:37)
6. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op. 26: II. Adagio (9:01)
7. Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op. 26: III. Finale. Allegro energico (7:43)

On his second album for Alpha Classics, rising star violinist Kerson Leong juxtaposes the Violin Concertos of Bruch and Benjamin Britten. This unusual pairing is a reflection on the journey from one extreme of expression to another. Bruch’s In Memoriam is the perfect bridge between them. “The Britten expresses a raw and exposed experience, while the Bruch is comforting and uplifting. After the last few years in which the world has experienced much difficulty and uncertainty due to pandemic, war, and crisis, recording this album in London in January 2021 with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Patrick Hahn was a profoundly cathartic moment. It is in the spirit of catharsis that I offer this album.” – Kerson Leong