Senfter: Compositions for Two Violins

Description

Over 140 years since the composer’s birth, Johanna Senfter‘s creations are finding fans all over the world. This album includes both a full concerto and two suites of intimate dances, making it the perfect addition to any music collection. Listeners will enjoy a comforting familiarity, even while exploring Senfter’s new melodies and complex themes.

Artist’s Statement

To celebrate Johanna Senfter’s 140th birthday, I’m delighted to return to her music and share this collection of her compositions for two violins.

I like to consider Senfter an outstanding musical influence and a versatile composer. Many of her works are obviously influenced by the late Romantic movement, an example of this being the Elegie for Violin and Piano included on the Feminae in Musica album. However, in both compositions represented here, you can also clearly hear her love for the Baroque as well. Her versatility is also manifested in the broad range of intellectual and emotional responses which her music inspires.

For me, the range of emotions evoked by the dances includes charm, flirtation, innocence, faith, love, playfulness, joy, growth, longing, and nostalgia. It’s a bit difficult to explain that the Loure dance in particular connects me with a memory of the final scene of a classic American 1954 film. (Yes, I’m a fan of vintage movies, and will send an autographed copy of Senfter: Compositions for Two Violins to the first person who correctly guesses which movie. One guess per person, please.)

In the concerto, feelings of bravura and indomitableness are inspired within me by the first movement. Then in the second movement, a sense of serenity combined with flowing and interplaying waves come to the surface. The enchanting themes of the third movement were the main inspiration in my decision to produce this album, since I couldn’t get them out of my mind. And last but not least, the final movement of the concerto invokes in me feelings of pride and fulfillment, as both woman and musician.

It was splendid to collaborate with violinist Katarina Aleksic in performing these compositions, and it was almost magical for us to work with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra to bring this concerto back to life.

As always, I’m overjoyed that you have chosen to join this movement revealing the talents of great women composers. Johanna Senfter is a stellar example of a musician who certainly merits a place in history. Her compositions deserve to be played, appreciated and honored.
—Aleksandra

Liner Notes

Johanna Senfter

Johanna Senfter was born in 1879 into a wealthy family in the town of Oppenheim on the Rhine river in Germany, and died in the same town in 1961. Most of her life is veiled in mystery.

It is known that, just before her 29th birthday, Johanna Senfter enrolled in the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipzig to study advanced composition with Max Reger. The close relationship between their families probably developed at that time.

Objective biographical knowledge is scarce, and the available information on this subject does not always stand up to scrutiny. Scholarly research on Johanna’s personal and professional life is unfortunately lacking and in need of further investigation.

It is most fortunate that her music has survived, including manuscript scores archived in Cologne, and printed editions that publisher Schott is now actively releasing.

A 1999 documentary broadcast on Südwestrundfunk in Germany attributes the following revealing quote to Johanna Senfter:
“Listen and play my music, 
then you will understand me.”

All compositions by Johanna Senfter (1879–1961)

Concerto in C minor for Two Violins and String Orchestra, opus 40
published by Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz, 2006
Aleksandra Maslovaric, violin I
Katarina Aleksic, violin II
Budapest Symphony Orchestra (manager, Rebeka Drahos)

Ten Old Dances for Two Violins, opus 91
published by Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Mainz, 2008
Aleksandra Maslovaric, violin I
Katarina Aleksic, violin II

Aleksandra Maslovaric performed on a violin crafted by Eric Benning
Katarina Aleksic performed on a violin crafted by Nicola Utili

Recorded by Rédly Dénes
assisted by David Lukacs
at Studio 22, Magyar Radio, Budapest, Hungary

Mixed and mastered by Scott Levitin
at Warner Elektra Atlantic Studios, Burbank, California

Produced by Jonathan Shephard and Aleksandra Maslovaric