CD REVIEW – DANIEL HOPE : DANCE!
ZÜRCHER KAMMORCHESTER
Deutsche Grammophon 028948649945 [62:18 & 53:19]

Daniel Hope is the outstanding violinist born in South Africa (1973) who holds Irish and German nationality. He started making concept albums in the early 2000s and I have had the pleasure of reviewing 'Journey to Mozart' and 'America' here. A very welcome release, his latest double album of dance music from seven centuries has, evidently, been in his mind for 20 years.

It is a veritable tune-fest of 42 tracks. The earliest is a piece by Anonymous from the 14th century, and the latest, Orawa by Wojciech's Kilar, from 1986. The earliest named composer is Tarquinio Merula (1595-1665).

CD1 has well known pieces such as Waltz No.2 (Shostakovich), Dance macabre (Saint-Saëns), Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), Pas de Deux from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) and Can-Can (Galop Infernal) from Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach); all in new arrangements by Paul Bateman. Other compositions are by Mozart, Schubert, Bizet, Brahms, Gardel, Piazzola and Bartok.

More delights on CD2 include Rigaudon from Water Music (Handel), Fandango (Conforto), Ticklin' Toes (Price), It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got That Swing) (Ellington), Romance (Britten) and Tarantella from Pulcinella (Stravinsky). Other composers include Purcell, Elgar, and Ravel.

Hope is excellently supported on the majority of tracks by the polished playing of his chamber orchestra, the 27-strong ZKO, which he directs. Also used are guitar, baroque guitar, theorbo, bandoneon, cymbalom, piano, harpsichord and percussion.

This is a carefully creative compilation that has given me considerable pleasure, not least for including composers I have never encountered before, and will be an admirable addition to any collection.

© Peter Burt, February 2024