The Strad
As emotionally wide-ranging
as one could hope for

American Record Guide

GOMPPER: Violin Concerto; Ikon; Flip; Spirals
Wolfgang David, Peter Zazofsky,v; Royal Philharmonic/ Emmanuel Siffert
Naxos 559637—71 minutes
JACOBSEN
The incredible Wolfgang David takes the stage with the Violin Concerto. This Austrian violinist is extraordinary. His playing is exceptionally rich and opulent and can also be frighteningly delicate and distant when necessary. 
The concerto begins with a violent solo violin gesture that explodes into a dense texture, Stravinskian in quality. The violin dances around to a very American tune, yet reflects a staple 20th Century violin concerto. Shostakovich seems to be of influence in passages of very involved counterpoint in the winds, which serve as support for the cadenza-like passages in the violin—as in the Op. 99 scherzo. The frantic exchange is interrupted by a beautifully meditative section. As the agitation begins to brew once more, the desperate counterpoint between the strings and winds comes to a drastic halt with a booming brass call that melts back into a meditative vision. The ending seems to be in the style of Shostakovich—this time, the end of the Fourth Symphony.
The second movement is an agonizing moment, with a never-ending violin line that reaches a transformative climax. III is certainly the high point of this piece. I cannot get enough! I am listening obsessively to the riveting ending. Again, it seems to redefine, yet celebrate the great violin concertos with sounds of Bartok and Shostakovich. David Gompper also does something rather rare these days: compose a good tune; it’s glorious.
The other pieces are also very satisfying—especially the emotionally charmed Ikon and Spirals, inspired by the Fibonacci sequence.
What an absolute delight!