Paul Huang, Helen Huang - Kaleidoscope (2023) [Hi-Res]

For his debut album, the violinist Paul Huang has chosen to spotlight the colour and poetry of his instrument in a kaleidoscopic recital of sonatas by Saint-Saëns, Respighi, Chopin and Paganini.

Paul Huang is undoubtedly a virtuoso. A graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, winner of the 2011 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, he is already renowned, and has been a guest at the most prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Center.

The sonatas by Saint-Saëns and Respighi are also undeniably virtuosic, and among the most difficult works in the violin repertoire. But virtuosity is not the most important quality that Huang focuses on here: he was initially attracted to the instrument as a young boy for “its sonority and its wonderful lyric qualities.”

A subtle, refined violin - the legendary 1742 ‘ex-Wieniawski’ Guarneri del Gesù - ensures a variety of colour and contrast for this vibrant Romantic programme.

Paul Huang deploys a wide, generous palette of emotions bestowing a moving intimacy to Paganini’s famous Cantabile or Chopin’s Nocturne.

Respighi’s too little known sonata vibrates from the initial Moderato with velvety phrasing and controlled interiority, while the sonata by Saint-Saëns assumes the virtuosity of its last two movements with carefree beauty. “I often compare a great instrument to a great painter - its countless nuances enable him to create and recreate his art in countless ways. This is precisely what I feel when playing this violin,” says Paul Huang.

In the pianist Helen Huang, the young Taiwanese violinist has found an attentive partner who delicately enhances his textured playing. Their duets flourish in an atmosphere of confidence that has matured throughout their long collaboration and shared exacting and passionate zest for chamber music. “I would like this album to reflect my love of the violin,” concludes Paul Huang. It certainly does.