The classical tribute album can be a turgid affair, but not in the case of this tribute to Yehudi Menuhin by violinist Daniel Hope. Hope was Menuhin's protégé from an early age, and he absorbed his mentor's soaring, almost spiritual tone. Better than that,
My Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin captures the exceptionally wide range of Menuhin's musical interests, which in the latter part of his career took him from jazz to Indian music to pop and beyond. Unlike many other virtuosos at the top level, Menuhin was often on the forefront of new musical developments. He revived the lost "Violin Concerto in D minor" of the 13-year-old
Mendelssohn, recording it three times, and Hope's performance effectively captures Menuhin's brilliant way with the finale. In the age of ubiquitous
Vivaldi it's hard to remember that he was once a novelty, especially for a top-level player, and Hope's performance of the "Concerto for two violins and strings, RV 522" (Simos Papanas is the second soloist) draws on how Vivaldi was performed in the 1950s. There is music by
Bartók, to whom Menuhin was close, and by
Steve Reich, commissioned (remarkably) by Menuhin and Edna Mitchell. Hope does not stick exclusively to Menuhin's repertoire; Bechara El Khoury's "Unfinished Journey for violin and strings" is an original commission by Hope, but it seems likely that Menuhin would have enjoyed it. This is a tribute that exudes real familiarity and warmth.
