Born in Israel as part of a Russian family of professional musicians, Max Zorin is currently on the violin faculty of Penn State University but also has a strong presence in France, where he performs in the Bordeaux region. The program of French works for violin and piano features a pair of three-movement sonatas filled with glorious melodies, and both showing at least a touch of jazz influences (Zorin has performed with jazz violinist Didier Lockwood).
Ravel’s gypsy evocation is something like his La Valse in squeezing out the maximum drama from the hackneyed form. And Zorin clearly plays it for the drama – he also has directed courses at the Yale Drama School and has acted in some of their productions. Sonics on the album – recorded at the Chateau de Rochemorin (which may be in Bordeaux, who knows) – are top flight, and the Digipak packaging is so much more attractive than the standard plastic jewel box.
– John Sunier
