Consolation, op. 5 (Romance without Words) - Violin and Piano

I was inspired by Rachel Barton Pine’s excellent recording, Violin Concertos by Black Composers to begin researching works by historical black soloists - George Bridgetower, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and Jose White left fascinating etudes and concerti. The brilliant Afro-Cuban soloist, Claudio Brindis de Salas, known as “The Black Paganini”, is from the same time period as Chausson and Ysaÿe, but his works hearken back to the melancholic tunefulness of a Chopin or Liszt. This passionate Consolation deserves to be in every serious violinist’s recital repertoire – beginning with a murky C minor theme, eventually transitioning to an austere C major appassionato section – both sections featuring nimble octaves and G-string material. --Andrew Sords