Leila Josefowicz – For the End of Time

Philips has been giving Leila Josefowitz a major buildup recently. This time around she has pop star packaging and program notes in the form of an interview, printed in an almost illegible format. Still, the playing is what counts. The technical weakness heard on her debut release has now been overcome, and she deals intelligently with an impressive variety of music here. The program is uncommonly attractive, and in John Novacek she has an appropriately assertive partner. But Josefowicz doesn't seem to have developed the musical personality to handle her role here effectively, and as well-played as these performances are, they are also a bit bland and lacking in passion. She'll probably do better in a few years, but this is the disc we have now.

Performers:

John Novacek, Leila Josefowicz

Tracklist:

Manuel de Falla
1. Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from ‘Popular Spanish Songs’ by Kochanski): El Paño Moruno
2. Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from ‘Popular Spanish Songs’ by Kochanski): Nana
3. Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from ‘Popular Spanish Songs’ by Kochanski): Canción
4. Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from ‘Popular Spanish Songs’ by Kochanski): Polo
5. Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from ‘Popular Spanish Songs’ by Kochanski): Asturiana
6. Suite Populaire Espagnole, for violin & piano (arr. from ‘Popular Spanish Songs’ by Kochanski): Jota

Olivier Messiaen
7. Quatuor pour la fin du temps, for violin, cello, clarinet & piano, I/22: Louange á l’lmmortalité de Jésus

Edvard Grieg
8. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45: No. 1, Allegro molto ed appassionato
9. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45: No. 2, Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza
10. Sonata for violin & piano No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45: No. 3, Allegro animato

Bela Bartok
11. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in C sharp minor, Sz. 75, BB 84 (Op. 21): I. Allegro appassionato
12. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in C sharp minor, Sz. 75, BB 84 (Op. 21): II. Adagio
13. Sonata for violin & piano No. 1 in C sharp minor, Sz. 75, BB 84 (Op. 21): III. Allegro