Johan Dalene plays "Souvenirs"

I have been listening to the violinist Johan Dalene accompanied by Peter Friis Johansson, on a CD entitled "Souvenirs". A medley of well-known pieces for violin and piano. Dalene is a Norwegian in his early twenties at the time of this recording. Positive things first. Dalene really has technique to burn. Some of his playing, for example at the end of Waxman's Carmen Fantasia, would have seen even Heifetz's jaw drop. And then: the sound he draws from his Strad violin is some of the loveliest violin sound I have ever heard.

All wonderful so far. If I have a criticism, it's that too much of Dalene's playing sounds studied: he plays a lot from the head, and not too often from the heart. It's as if almost every bar he plays bears his written instruction on how to play it. Ravel's Tzigane suffers greatly from this trait. And the recorded sound suffers a bit from the modern desire for the fullest dynamic range, which means that on much home equipment, if the volume is set so you can hear the violin playing pianissimo in the upper register, the full sound forte will blow your socks off.

Souvenirs is a nice collection of old favourites: Tzigane, Massenet's Méditation, Tchaikovsky's three pieces from Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Saint-Saëns' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, De Falla's dance from La Vida Breve, Kreisler's Recitative and Scherzo. Franz Waxman's Hollywood Carmen Fantasy is played, though I would have much preferred that by Sarasate. All the pieces are ultra-familiar. I'll remember "Souvenirs" for the incredible technique and wonderful violin sound. But there are more heartfelt versions of pretty well every piece on this CD.