Irish Roots [2 LP] in Bloomington, MN

One may not think of violinist
Daniel Hope
as Irish, but he actually holds an Irish passport and has some Irish background, as well as South African, Jewish, and more. So he has as much right as anyone to play traditional Irish music, and his comments about this album show that he approached his task with the proper seriousness. After several albums featuring contemporary music of various kinds, he may have intended
Irish Roots
as a crossover crowd-pleaser, and perhaps that is what the audiences who put the album on classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2024 expected to get. Indeed,
Danny Boy
, a.k.a. the
Londonderry Air
, is here for those who want to hear it one more time.
Hope
and a variety of star collaborators led by the Irish ensemble
Lúnasa
do offer traditional tunes, some familiar and some less so, but
's curiosity seems to have gotten the better of him, and he includes some really unusual material here. He programs not only Irish traditional music but that of classical composers who worked in Ireland or whose music was played there. Thus, one gets
Vivaldi
's
Concerto for two violins in A minor, Op. 3, No. 5
, and dances from
Erindo oder Die unsträfliche Liebe
by the impressively named composer
Johann Sigismund Kusser
. A lovely ensemble transcription of
O'Carolan
Concerto
brings things back down to earth, and in general,
's program is splendidly varied. He is equally good in limpid traditional tunes and in some of the odder music. It is not only confirmed
fans that will enjoy this music. ~ James Manheim