A very nice review for the album “Complete for violin and piano by César Franck”, published in theAudiophile-magazine.
Here are some excerpts :
“Bulgarian violinist Darina Maleeva is a leading repertoire expert. She also holds a doctorate whose thesis concerns César Franck.
But above all she created the first piece of this album, “Melancholy”, unpublished work by the composer at the time.
She was also at the origin of the first complete work for violin and piano by César Franck during the Piano Roi de Brantôme festival in 2001.
It is therefore completely normal to find a quality interpretation here., inhabited and respectful of the work.
“Melancholy” resembles the sonata in certain aspects. This piece harbors the same luminosity and fervor of a particularly moving violin.
Difficult to make a value judgment on the sonata, the discography is so rich.
But this version has undeniable qualities, the main ones of which seem to me here to be the quality of Darina Maleeva's tone, with this well-balanced vibrato, quite wide.
It is also this restraint on the part of the pianist, who does not seek to impose himself, but which contributes to this perfect harmony with the violinist.
I keep the very moving memory of the interpretation of Maxime Vengerov with Martha Argerich in Chantilly, musical madeleine which constitutes for me a peak of virtuosity in this work. But sometimes, overdoing it on the quieter passages takes us away from the pure emotion that this sonata is supposed to generate.
Darina Maleeva is not really part of unbridled romanticism, but nevertheless offers us a vibrant and sensitive interpretation. The success of this sonata (like many others) depends above all on the cohesion that can arise between two performers.
It also took a partner as prestigious as Martha Argerich to respond to the fiery romanticism of Vengerov. Et, on a completely different level, the playing of Xavier Lecomte de la Bretonnerie suits perfectly that of Darina Maleeva. This humility towards the work makes me think of the excellent version of the duo Ferras – Barbizet recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, and although the tempi are noticeably different and the vibrato tighter. But the osmosis that arises between the performers is simply jubilant on these two recordings..
This album ends with the Duo performing on motifs from the comic opera “Gulistan” by Nicolas Dalayrac…
Few discographic references are available to objectively judge this last performance. But to return to Dumay’s recording, the Bulgarian gives us here a much more seductive and warm bel canto. There is more strength and presence on the part of the violin and the piano whose tonal density illustrates well the orchestral part. It’s a real success, as well as a final demonstration of the formidable complicity between the two artists of this duo.
An excellent record in the end, and recognize it, a very beautiful sonata in A major !”
Joël Chevassus, Audiophile-magazine, January 2024
