CD reviews

International reviews
Pablo de Sarasate
Music for Violin and Orchestra 1

Zigeunerweisen, Airs espagnols, Viva Sevilla!
Tianwa Yang, Violin, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Ernest Martinez Izquierdo
Label: Naxos- 8.572191

Even in a world that is presently inundated with technically superb musical virtuosos, the twenty-two year old Chinese violinist, Tianwa Yang, is quite remarkable. Intonation is in the centre of every note and her immaculate bowing arm creates the most beautifully smooth and elegant cantabile or the tangy spiky spiccato as the music demands. Listen to those left-hand pizzicatos in Zigeunerweisen for a precision product that would make other virtuosos green with envy. In fact she almost brushes aside the difficulties that the great 19th century Spanish violinist, Pablo Sarasate, built into his showpieces. Turn to the beauty of the Nocturne-serenade with her use of a wide and warming vibrato produces exquisite beauty and gossamer lightness in those waterfall descending passages. Then, after a slow introduction, she dives head first into the exuberances of Viva Sevilla!. The disc ends with the Fantasie sur La Dame Blanche, considered the composer’s masterpiece in the genre. Using themes from Boieldieu’s once famous opera, it moves between bel canto and those high passages on the violin that rival the song of birds. Above all, it is Yang’s ability to play the quiet moments in these virtuoso works with such utter delicacy that sets her aside from others. The perfectly coloured accompaniment comes from the Orquesta Sinfonica da Navarra. It was founded by Sarasate in 1879, and has, in recent times, toured China with Yang playing the composers music. Very good sound quality and by a large margin the best Sarasate disc I have heard.

David Denton David's Review Corner, October 2009

International Reviews
Pablo de Sarasate Vol.2 Concert Fantasies
La forza del destino, Zampa, Martha

Tianwa Yang (Violin); Markus Hadulla (Piano)
Label: Naxos- 8.570192

...Tianwa Yang offers us a dazzling interpretation…shows us in each piece here ease and confidence with a polished and technically perfect execution...
...If the excellence of the current production continues, it is probable that the work of Naxos will become the definitive discographic reference.

SCHERZO, Spain, November 2008

I suppose Yang’s playing can only be described as perfect, and „perfect“ is a word I normally hate to use, because I normally think of perfection to be a myth. George Bernard Shaw, it has been said, advised the young Jascha Heifetz that his perfection might cause the gods to seek retribution, ad that he should intentionally play one single bad note daily to protect himself. Maybe Yang should be prudent and do the same.

Elaine Fine, American Record Guide, March/April 2008

... The twenty-year-old Tianwa Yang is a phenomenally gifted violinist, who takes to this (and, one would suspect to any genre of) music like a fish to water. ...

Giv Cornfield, November 2007

International Reviews
Sarasate's Complete Violin Music Volume 1
Spanish Dances: Serenata Andaluza; Balada, a.o.

Tianwa Yang (Violin); Markus Hadulla (Piano)
Label: Naxos- 8.557767

"Tianwa Yang's Sarasate CD is sensational. I have never heard a violin performance of anything by anybody that has given me as much pleasure as this recording. Yang makes every sound a classical violin is capable of making. High harmonics whistle. Low notes sound like only a viola could make them. Every note is so shaped as to have its own unique personality. The double stops are impeccably balanced. Buy this recording and fall in love."

Lief Carter, Amazon, May 21, 2007

"Basta escucharlo tocar unos pocos compases para corroborar su formidable talento. Toca, ademas, esta musica como hay que hacerlo, con frescura y arrojo, a la vez que sin sacar los pies del tiesto. Con un sonido bellisimo en el piano y suficiente potencia dinamica en el forte, Yang posee una tecnica solida: clarisimos todos sus arpegios ascendentes y nitidos igualmente sus pizzicatos de mano izquierda: una gratisima sorpresa que corrobora que el talento se ha instalado en Oriente."

**** Review, Ritmo, Spain, 2007

"Itzhak Perlman, Aaron Rosand, Alfredo Campoli, Charles Castleman, Rachel Barton Pine, and Ruggiero Ricci have all issued collections of the music of Pablo Sarasate. None of them sounds much like Sarasate, who recorded some of this repertoire. These artists to a large extent wrapped Sarasate's silvery brilliance in a dark cloak of Slavic ardor, or, in Campoli's case, Italian bel canto.

The young Chinese violinist, Tianwa Yang, plays Sarasate in the style more in sympathy with the Master's lightness but aggressively, too, and smolderingly Iberian. It's a different Sarasate than even Heifetz and Milstein presented, brilliant and showy though their Sarasate might have been. Yang's approach to this music sounds fresh and revelatory. Sharp edges notwithstanding, Yang's playing flashes with insights that should catch the attention even of those who feel that Sarasate either has been played out or never actually deserved much attention.

If her playing of the Romanza andaluza, doesn't burn with Heifetz's or Milstein's laser-like intensity, it stands almost equal to their performances in its insightful individuality. Similarly, her virtuosity in the Jota aragonesa sounds very different from, and more nuanced than, Ricci's white hot rendering. Yang, in short, creates the same degree of sensation that Sarasate's recordings themselves do."

Robert Maxham, Fanfare, April 2007

"The 1960s recording by Itzhak Perlman on EMI should be in every collection. And so too, should this. The young Chinese violinist Tianwa Yang plays all of Sarasate's virtuosity runs as if it's as simple as breathing. Sarsate would have performed them [the pieces] to delight, amaze and simply to please; his magic is still here in abundance."

Anthony Clarke, Limelight, November 2006

"Wonderful new recordings are still made, and this is one of them.

I never expected a Chinese female to be able to play these idiomatically, but I honestly can find nothing wrong with her performances. Each piece is beautifully characterized and played with great polish and confidence.

Every trick you hear in Paganini turns up here, but in the service of Spanish melodies and atmosphere. The fire and passion are controlled, but still hard to miss. The violinist understands all that and serves the music perfectly."

Donald Vroon, American Record Guide, September/Oktober 2006