Sherban Lupu:Ian Hobson - Ernst: Complete Music Vol. 3

Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (1812-65) was one of the leading musicians of his day, a friend of Berlioz, Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn, and for Joseph Joachim 'the greatest violinist I ever heard'.But the popular encore pieces by which Ernst is remembered today represent only a fraction of his output: this third CD - in a series of seven presenting all his compositions for the first time - shows the full range of his creativity and charm. The �l�gie sur la mort d'un objet ch�ri is written in his most moving and melancholy vein, and the Airs hongrois vari�s push the virtuoso violin to its absolute limits. Between these extremes lie the lyricism of the Pens�es fugitives, the inventiveness of his treatment of two Hal�vy operas and the high spirits of his fantasy on a Strauss waltz. The first two volumes in this series have been received with glowing critical approval: Vol. 1 earned an 'Editor's Choice in Gramophone and in Fanfare Robert Maxham praised Vol. 2 for its 'exceptional notes by Mark Rowe [and...] stunning performances of works both familiar and unfamiliar by violinist Sherban Lupu and pianist Ian Hobson'.