Rave reviews from The Guardian, The Financial Times and more for Randall Goosby's new album

Philadelphia Orchestra / Randall Goosby & Yannick Nézet-Séguin - Max Burch and Florence Price Violin Concertos (Decca Classics)

The reviews of Randall Goosby’s new album Max Bruch and Florence Price Violin Concertos are starting to pour in since the album’s release on May 19th.

The Guardian wrote:

Florence Price’s star continues to rise. Her two violin concertos were rediscovered among piles of old papers in 2009, when renovators entered her old Illinois summer house more than half a century after her death. Now they find an ideal champion in the US violinist Randall Goosby, whose recording of them follows on from his 2021 debut, Roots, exploring music associated with Black America. Together with the Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, he presents Price’s concertos alongside an appealingly unhackneyed performance of Bruch’s blockbuster Concerto No 1, his playing full of old-school warmth and breadth but never schmaltzy. In the Bruch, he and Nézet-Séguin resist many temptations to milk the bits you’d expect, and yet the performance has plenty of romance.

Price’s first concerto dates from 1939, and there is no record of any performance in her lifetime. The first solo violin entry has echoes of the same moment in the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, and that work – the most sprawling of the romantic warhorse concertos – could be seen more generally as the model for Price’s, which luxuriates in good tunes more than it seeks to wrangle with matters of musical tension and resolution. Overall it’s as if the Gershwin of Porgy and Bess met the Richard Strauss of Ein Heldenleben and Till Eulenspiegel. The first movement especially has a storytelling feel, with some extended orchestral interludes that wouldn’t be out of place covering scene changes; the second is bluesy, the third a short study of knotty perpetual motion.

The Concerto No 2 is a more streamlined affair, a single movement lasting a quarter of an hour. Written in 1952, the year before Price’s death, it’s the work of a more experienced composer, and that tells in the succinct interplay between orchestra and soloist. It deserves to be heard, and Goosby and his colleagues make it sing.

Read the full review here.

The Financial Times wrote:

After more than half a century of neglect, the music of Florence Price is suddenly everywhere. To judge from the many recordings of her little-known and sometimes previously unheard orchestral and chamber works that have appeared in the past few years, her time has come. 

Price died in 1953, aged 66, but it was only in 2009 that a huge cache of her music manuscripts was discovered in a dilapidated house in St Anne, Illinois, which she had used as a holiday home. Among the many works awaiting discovery were her two violin concertos. 

Although both concertos have been recorded before, this new recording ups the ante. Young violinist Randall Goosby is paired with the Philadelphia Orchestra and its music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, whose high-quality recordings of Price’s symphonies were a highlight of 2021.

It cannot be said that the loosely constructed Violin Concerto No 1 is Price at her finest, though it taps into an American strain that is immediately distinctive. The Violin Concerto No 2, a single movement of just 15 minutes, marks a considerable advance in subtlety and is rich in the heartfelt melody that makes Price such a loveable composer. 

There is much of Dvořák and Tchaikovsky here and, to a lesser extent, Max Bruch. Goosby pairs Price’s concertos with Bruch’s popular Violin Concerto No 1 and displays exemplary care throughout, ensuring clean, eloquent, underplayed performances. Nézet-Séguin and his first-rate Philadelphia Orchestra again prove that Price’s music deserves a wider audience.

Read the full review here.

The Strad wrote:

Randall Goosby, a violinist whose star is very much in the ascendant, opens this recording with a wonderfully assured and lustrous performance of Bruch’s First Violin Concerto.

Goosby, always responsive to the composer’s weaving lines, is as persuasive an advocate as could be hoped for, his tone always warm and expressive; the virtuosic moments are given with panache. The second-movement Andante is also in near-spiritual mode, with Goosby lush and articulate, as if singing imaginary lyrics.

Read the full review here.

The Classic Review wrote:

The opening cadenza of the Bruch reveals much about the performer’s approach and temperament. With divergent but well-executed versions, it might well be a toss up for preference. Goosby’s is quite polished: different characters across the lower and higher registers create dimensionality. His supple playing generates a suspense that drives the movement’s drama forward fluidly. Leong’s is more introspective: dwelling on certain notes mindfully, he evokes a raw pathos that allows the instrument to take on a convincingly human quality.

The Adagio requires treading a fine line between sensitivity and sensibility. Fortunately, both performers find the right balance and give excellent performances that communicate the beauty of Bruch’s lines. As in the prior movement, Leong makes it seem like he’s playing to the listener alone. His interpretation feels a little more forward in how his phrasing beckons, at times coyly and at others more persuasively. A large part of this personal quality has to do with his stellar rubato, which is both resonant and warm. Goosby’s take feels a hair lighter where vibrato and bowing are concerned but introduces a different sentiment—a delicate wistfulness that is no less arresting. The textures of the movement clearly reveals the differences in sound engineering, which in this case works in Leong’s favor. The balance in his recording puts him front and center, while the Decca engineers have Goosby on more level footing with the ensemble. While the latter results in a beautiful integration of parts, the soloist deserves far more attention.

The jubilant finale calls for technical mastery of spiccatos and double stops. Both performers rise to the occasions: Goosby plays his phrases with the litheness of a gymnast, while Leong adds a bit of stubborn emphasis to the intervals. The respective ensembles do their part not just to support the soloist but also help maintain the energetic drive throughout.

Goosby’s live performance of the Florence Price concertos was taken from four concerts he played in October 2022. The first few moments of the Tempo Moderato (track 4) alone reflect noticeable parallels in structure and compositional elements to Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Similarity aside, Goosby’s interpretation places focus on a sense of melodic freedom in the runs and flourishes–and also Price’s occasional penchant for polished virtuosity. What’s especially nice is how he plays with a sense of pure joy. The thematic material at 1’28”, for instance, is delightfully pastoral, especially in the lovely interchanges with the bassoon; 3’30” onwards greets our ears with a more playful buoyancy. Goosby’s tone, regardless of technical demands, is faultlessly silky and fits right into the character of the movement.

In the Andante, the orchestra’s clarity and transparency reveals Price’s adventurous harmonic suspensions and unexpected color shifts. Goosby has plenty of tenderness in his melodies; the only fault might be that his lower register playing (which features often), doesn’t ‘speak’ enough and could use a thicker and richer timbre.

Concerto No. 2 showcases a much more unique style which pairs interesting, if not contrastive elements: for instance, the robust martial character of the introduction is interrupted by mysterious percussive chimes that give way to an expansive and idyllic section of colorful, Impressionistic harmonies. Once again, Goosby’s lithe phrases and finessed bow control makes the violin’s lines sound elegant and whimsical.

Read the full review here.

BBC Music wrote:

There’s much to admire in Randall Goosby’s debut concerto recording. This star pupil of Itzhak Perlman possesses a beautifully warm and tender sound, as well as delivering technically immaculate playing that easily surmounts the most challenging daredevil passagework in the two Florence Price concertos. More importantly, his interpretations are free from the kind of idiosyncratic mannerisms that can disrupt the natural flow of the music.

Such virtues are very much on display in a lovely performance of the Bruch Concerto, the expressive melodies of its central slow movement projected here without recourse to over-indulgence. It helps that the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin are so fabulously responsive in this live performance, bringing immense character and interest to the thickly scored accompaniment and delivering stunningly exciting whirlwind playing in the big orchestral tutti near the end of the first movement.

The commitment to promoting the previously overlooked music of Florence Price, already reflected in the award-winning Philadelphia/Nézet-Séguin recordings of her First and Third Symphonies, pays special dividends here with some sharply focused orchestral playing in the two Violin Concertos that keeps the listener fully engaged, even in the more discursive passages of the lengthy opening movement to the First Concerto. To my mind, however, the compactly designed Second Concerto, with its fascinating kaleidoscope of inventive orchestral textures, is the more successful work. But the haunting melody and slightly bluesy harmony of the slow movement to the First could well become a concert favourite in its own right.

Read the full review here.

WQXR wrote:

Ascendant violinist Randall Goosby (who was recently featured in the soundtrack for the movie Chevalier) presents us with an excellent sophomore album. According to the liner notes, this live recording of the Concerti Nos. 1 and 2 of Florence Price and the Concerto No. 1 of Max Bruch marks the first time those of Price have been released by a major record label; it, however, is not the first time Yannick Nézet-Séguin and his Philadelphia Orchestra have recorded her music for a large audience. Their recording of her Symphonies 1 and 3 won the 2022 Best Orchestral Performance Grammy Award and Goosby’s performance has matched their prestigious standard.

Goosby plays the familiar opening of the Bruch Concerto with great virtuosity, but also with a pathos effortlessly shining through the notes on the page. A more-than-ample accompanying force, the Philadelphia Orchestra matches his vigor, and his sweetness, when it comes to it. A favorite section of mine—the fifth minute or so—practically has me head-banging, certainly air-conducting! Another moment that pulls at the heartstrings in that special way where you seem to be drawn in is around the fifth minute of the second movement. And who can fail to feel the energy of that swashbuckling finale and its frenetic ending?

In Price’s first violin concerto, as mentioned in the liner notes, you can certainly hear some aspects of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, but I’ll tell you what else I hear: what sounds like an occasional reference to the spiritual “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”; a character that I’ve often heard in Black-American music; and some of the distinctly American sound found in the early 20th century. In my opinion, the mix of the aforementioned and the traditionally romantic sounds makes for a scintillating amalgam; at one point you might hear Tchaikovsky, but the next moment it’s as if Price is saying “just look what I can do.” While being shorter than the first, I enjoy Price’s second violin concerto a little more. It sounds a bit more cohesive, and I find it, especially toward the latter calm section before the end, quite touching. I thoroughly enjoyed both concerti whilst streaming—I’m hoping for an opportunity to hear them live in the near future.

Of course, Price’s “Adoration” is lovely, and not much more needs to be said aside from: be sure to listen to it, and the rest of this album. I simply can’t wait to see what’s next from Goosby; perhaps a quartet album soon, given that he’s a member of the Renaissance String Quartet, which recently had its New York debut—we shall see. If you want more of Goosby now, however, I’m happy to report that he recently performed in our very own Greene Space; you can watch that performance, and hear him in conversation with Jeff Spurgeon in the special presentation below.

Read the full review here.

Limelight wrote:

Randall Goosby is a celebrated young violinist. Born in the USA to an African-American father and Korean mother in 1996, and mentored by Itzhak Perlman, he signed an exclusive contract with Decca at the age of 24.

Goosby is interested in neglected composers, so inevitably he gravitated to the newly unearthed Violin Concertos of Florence Price, the Black, 20th-century composer whose underrated output is currently being re-examined. One of the drivers of that trend is Nézet-Séguin, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, who recently recorded Price’s First and Third Symphonies.

The scores of Price’s two Violin Concertos (the Second in one movement) were discovered in a dilapidated summer house in Illinois in 2009.

Both are traditional and romantic in style, showcasing the virtuosity of the soloist. Like Price’s three extant symphonies – her Second is lost – they reveal her skill in writing for orchestra, but have less of an obvious African-American influence. The Second Concerto, written in 1952, the year before Price’s death, is a succinct masterpiece. Captured in live performances, Goosby and Nézet-Séguin revel in the music’s joyfulness and lyrical warmth (equally so in the short piece, Adoration).

In an accompanying interview, Goosby is asked to relate Max Bruch’s well-known Concerto No. 1 to the Black experience. (Stupid question: nobody asked Kyung Wha Chung how it related to her Korean experience!) You just have to hear him play the first theme to know why Bruch’s concerto is included. This is a full-blooded, exciting and communicative performance.

No question: Randall Goosby is the real deal.

Read the full review here.

Arts Fuse wrote:

Randall Goosby’s sophomore album proves that the violinist is the real deal.

There’s no doubt that Randall Goosby is an artist to watch. The violinist’s sophomore album (on Decca), which pairs concertos by Max Bruch and Florence Price, demonstrates all the technical and expressive qualities evinced on his debut recording, Roots: playing that’s note-perfect, directly expressive, never overwrought, and smartly shaped. This guy’s the real deal.

His performance of the Bruch G-minor Concerto is old school in all the best ways. Goosby’s playing is consistently fluent and lyrical. Rhythmically, he’s on point but never to the point of aggression or losing touch with the music’s dancing impetus — which comes across most impressively in his ebullient account of the finale.

Tonally, Goosby’s playing is sweet without becoming cloying. The rhapsodic opening is ever fervent and the Adagio sings with clear-eyed beauty. Taken with the limber, energetic, well-balanced accompaniments of the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Yannick-Nézet Séguin, this is as inviting a Bruch First Concerto as we’ve seen in recent years.

Read the full review here.

From Apple podcasts:

How did this collaboration with Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra evolve?

“It was one of those things where I just couldn't say no to it. I had been wanting to continue my exploration of Price's music after my first album, Roots, came out, so I was thrilled at the invitation. I then spent all of last summer really diving into both the Price concerti.

“To make this recording with a conductor and an orchestra that have been dedicated and passionate champions of Price's story, not just her music, was really special. It was a privilege that I'll always look back upon with great gratitude.”

What about Price’s Violin Concerto No. 1 resonates with you?

“One of the things that I think is very special about the Violin Concerto No. 1 is that it's modeled after the warhorse that is Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. It quickly becomes an example of what makes American music what it is, and that is the combining of influences from all over the place.

“The piece presented her with an opportunity to shed a new light on some of the themes that Tchaikovsky laid out. I mean, Tchaikovsky had to go through some great challenges of his own at the time. But there were challenges that he had to go through that Price probably couldn't relate to. And there were certainly challenges that Price experienced and had to overcome that Tchaikovsky could never have conveyed in his music. And so I think it presents a unique opportunity to look at these two very different artists under the same spotlight.”

Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 is made up of a single movement. What are we learning about her in this piece?

“There's a lot of athletics; there's a lot of very quick moving notes and very fleeting harmonies that keep you on the edge of your seat — until suddenly it gives way to the richest, chocolatiest and soulful singing quality found in some of those andante sections that are laced in between the athleticism. In terms of the structure of the piece, she just changed things up and went against the grain.”

Why did you decide to pair these two works with Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1?

“I fell in love with the violin because of music like the violin concerti by Bruch, Mendelssohn and Brahms, not because of the Price concerti. But the Price concerti have injected new life to me in terms of having some sort of a guiding purpose behind a lot of my programing.”

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