Sueye Park: Goldmark, Sibelius

The Strad Issue: August 2026

Description: A luscious concerto is brought excitingly to life

Musicians: Sueye Park (violin) Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra/Valentin Egel

Works: Goldmark: Violin Concerto. Sibelius: Works for violin and orchestra

Catalogue number: BIS SACD2782

After the rather stern, march-like orchestral introduction to Goldmark’s Violin Concerto, Sueye Park enters with a flowing, lyrical stream of melody; she maintains its essential legato as it moves into busier passagework, with semiquaver configurations dancing their way to a high E before she picks up the march theme with a good dotted-rhythm snap.

Limpid triplet runs and some athletic arpeggios are played with élan, as Park gently steers the music to the second subject. From here she tackles the increasingly challenging technical demands with aplomb, dispatching it all with style and grace.

The second-movement Andante, which has one of Goldmark’s most attractive melodies, here has a reverential quality barely disturbed by the central poco animato section. With the Allegretto finale comes sparkling dance, full of dotted rhythms and energy, leading into the substantial cadenza, in which Park is both neat and dashing. This is an open-hearted and accomplished performance, always with a smile on its face.

A selection of Sibelius miniatures follows, including his Suite for violin and string orchestra from 1929. Park plays the opening ‘Country Scenery’ with cheerful naivety, and lends ‘Evening in Spring’ tender fragility. The moto perpetuo ‘In the Summer’ clips along famously.

Park also brings a potent complex piety to the Two Serious Melodies op.77 and catches the eccentricity of the Two Humoresques op.87.

TIM HOMFRAY