Augustin Hadelich’s Exploration of American Music is a Treat

By Miranda Wilson | From the November/December 2024 issue of Strings

This diverse collection of American compositions is German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich’s love letter to his adopted country. Spanning a century and a half, the works on this album represent American composers of many eras, regions, and musical traditions.

Hadelich and regular chamber music partner pianist Orion Weiss begin with Amy Beach’s Romance, Op. 23, where the grave simplicity of their playing makes a pleasant contrast to more sentimental recorded interpretations. Next up is the energizing Louisiana Blues Strut: A ‘Cakewalk’ for solo violin, then it’s back to the early 20th century with Charles Ives’ fourth violin sonata, “Children’s Day at the Camp Meeting.” Here, Hadelich skillfully brings out Ives’ pensive polystylistic sound world, where self-quotations crash repeatedly into New England hymnody.

The next two tracks, William Kroll’s Banjo and Fiddle and the Jascha Heifetz arrangement of Manuel Ponce’s Estrellita, represent two very different folk idioms. In the first, violinist and pianist imitate the instruments of Appalachian folk music; in the second, they wordlessly portray a love song between a singer and a star in the night sky.

Stephen Hartke’s Netsuke is the longest and most substantial work on the album. Inspired by Japanese miniature carvings, these six movements require the instrumentalists to depict tricksters, thieves, and supernatural creatures, and it’s here that Hadelich and Weiss seem most at home. Another highlight of the album is the violinist-composer Daniel Bernard Roumain’s Filter for solo violin, a frantically fast moto perpetuo. It would be hard to top Roumain’s own recording of the work, but Hadelich doesn’t try to imitate him; his performance is one of characteristic high seriousness and ultra-clean articulation. 

American minimalism gets a look in with John Adams’ Road Movies, where Hadelich and Weiss create a mesmerizing mood. They could have finished the album here, but there are two more tracks: arrangements of Bernstein’s “Somewhere” from West Side Story and Copland’s Hoe-Down. Throwing in some crowd-pleasers to appease a skeptical audience is an understandable move when you’re trying to win converts, but Hadelich and Weiss’ engaging interpretation of unfamiliar repertoire obviates the need for this.