Pierre Rode - Violin Concertos Nos.3, 4 and 6

Pierre Rode [1774-1830]
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Minor
Violin Concerto No. 4 in A Major
Violin Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major

Nicolas Pasquet, Conductor
 South West German Radio Orchestra
Friedemann Eichhorn, Violin

Pierre Rode was born four years after Beethoven and died three years
after Beethoven. He couldn’t have been more different, though; as a
member of the ‘French school’ of violin playing he toured Europe
with a series of successful concertos, each of them highly lyrical
and virtuosic. They’re classical or early-romantic in a vague way:
you could never say, “ah! This must be Rode!”, but on the other hand
any fan of the period who listens to Rode’s music won’t turn it off.
It is reliably pretty, well-made, and enjoyable, and the feature I
really need to point out is that Rode wrote absolutely first-rate
finales with rhythmic verve and even what sound like folk elements.

The Third Concerto (1798) is one of the most ambitious in his whole
series, with a fifteen-minute long first movement; the other two
movements are just thirteen combined. This gigantic allegro is rather
too gigantic; it never feels big or important, but just keeps going.
The rest of the piece is much more successful, especially the riveting
finale, which if I didn’t know better I would tell you is some kind of
polonaise or other east-European dance.

The Fourth Concerto (1798-1800, date uncertain) has all the advantages
of the Third except for minor-key spice, and adds admirable
brevity to the mix. It, too, is a pleasure for the ears.
The Sixth Concerto (1800), apparently Rode’s most famous although all
three of these recordings are premieres, presents his art at its most
refined: lovely tunes, beautiful solo writing, a slightly beefier
orchestral contribution - does the Fourth Concerto use trombones or
are my ears deceiving me? - and another final rondo really worth
getting excited about. It seems to me rare that Rode would produce
merely average adagios and then superb concluding movements; so
often obscure romantic concertos excel early and
then disappoint in the finales.

Adding to the pleasure of the disc is the solo playing of
Friedemann Eichhorn, as polished and pleasing as the music;
he really has the feel of this era’s style. Even better, he’s written
his own highly accomplished cadenzas for each concerto, very good in
the first two concertos and then in No. 6 providing quite possibly
the highlight of the whole disc: Eichhorn has brought in one of the
variations from Bach’s Chaconne in D minor and incorporated into the
heart of the solo, and the result is a really well-written synthesis
of the original Bach and the Rode themes which never feels like a
stylistic clash. We’re fortunate to have such a thoughtful performer
engaging so closely with the composer and his style, and the
Jena Philharmonic under Nicolás Pasquet provide admirable support.