CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Schoenberg Violin Concerto Op.36/Sibelius Violin Concerto Op.47

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: DG

Release Date April 08, 2008
This recording pairs two concerti that, despite the obvious differences in tonal language, have much in common: both are large-scale, impassioned and, at times, achingly lyrical works that require technical mastery and musical maturity from both soloist and orchestra.
As far as the Schoenberg goes, Hahn and Salonen meet these challenges unabashedly; it is the most well-controlled yet lyrical recording of this sadly underplayed masterpiece I know. Schoenberg's musical language--so difficult for so many listeners--is brought to life with remarkable clarity and, more importantly, treated with a lovely musicality that sings out the Romantic beauty of the work.
However, while Schoenberg's lyricism generally reveals itself in shorter ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Schubert: Quintet in A D667, Op114; Schumann: String quartet in A No3, Op41/3

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Hungaroton

Release Date June 07, 1993
This recording pairs two concerti that, despite the obvious differences in tonal language, have much in common: both are large-scale, impassioned and, at times, achingly lyrical works that require technical mastery and musical maturity from both soloist and orchestra.
As far as the Schoenberg goes, Hahn and Salonen meet these challenges unabashedly; it is the most well-controlled yet lyrical recording of this sadly underplayed masterpiece I know. Schoenberg's musical language--so difficult for so many listeners--is brought to life with remarkable clarity and, more importantly, treated with a lovely musicality that sings out the Romantic beauty of the work.
However, while Schoenberg's lyricism generally reveals itself in shorter ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Mozart: Symphonies

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Philips

Release Date January 10, 2006
PHILIPS MOZART COMPLETE EDITIONS - RATED 5 STARS

To honor Wolfgang Mozart's 250th-birthday celebration, Philips reissued in 2006 the legendary PHILIPS MOZART COMPLETE EDITIONS, an award-winning 180-CD set collection presenting Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's complete works performed by some of the greatest Mozart classical musicians in the world!

On AMAZON.COM, buyers can purchase either the PHILIPPS COMPLETE MOZART EDITION with 180 CDs in 17 boxes

-OR-

On AMAZON.COM, buyers can purchase PHILIPS COMPLETE MOZART EDITIONS which are INDIVIDUAL BOX SETS SOLD SEPARATELY (see below)
1. Complete Mozart Edition Box 1: Symphonies Complete (12 CDs)
Academy of St.Martin-in-the-Fields, Sir Neville Marriner ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Janine Jansen: Concertos & Romance

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Decca

Release Date January 09, 2007
Janine Jansen is making the young adult transition that has to happen as we grow up. In her case, from child prodigy - she played the Bruch first with a youth orchestra at twelve years old in her home country of The Netherlands - to working professional musician. World class, by all accounts, and by the evidence of this disc, too.

Her super audio disc of the Vivaldi Four Seasons persuaded me strongly enough that I started giving out multiple copies as gifts to friends who somehow did not yet have a Four Seasons gracing their music shelves. And that in a crowded music factory warehouse catalogue of very, very, very good performances.

Now Ms Jansen turns her attentions to the nearly trite disc coupling of Mendelssohn's mature violin ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Mendelssohn, Bruch: Violin Concertos

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date March 30, 1990
This recording was the first I ever heard of the Bruch Concerto and it is without a doubt, my favourite. Sinopoli's deliberate tempi allow Shaham to shine in one of the most breautiful and romantic violin concertos ever written.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Britten: The Prince of the Pagodas Suite; McPhee: Tabuh-Tabuhan [Hybrid SACD]

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Chandos

Release Date November 11, 2003
This recording was the first I ever heard of the Bruch Concerto and it is without a doubt, my favourite. Sinopoli's deliberate tempi allow Shaham to shine in one of the most breautiful and romantic violin concertos ever written.

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

York Bowen: Viola Sonatas No. 1 & No. 2; Phantasy for Viola & Piano

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Dutton Labs UK

Release Date July 08, 2003
York Bowen is a real discovery; a composer that lived into the 60's, yet wrote music of the utmost melodic and emotional appeal. Bowen's music is definitely not that of an epigone, but of a creator possesed of discipline as well as fire. The two sonatas are both early works that exhibit most of the characteristics of Bowen's mature style, but it is with the Phantasy that we first encounter the true Bowen. His hallmark is an endless inventiveness in harmony that makes everything he touches seem fresh and new, no mean task when working in a tonal framework into the late 20th century. Bowen also has a penchant for virtuosity, and these viola works each exemplify that, their being taxing in the utmost.

The violist is ok. he has good fingers but a tendency to ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Strauss: Don Quixote [Hybrid SACD]

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date May 11, 2004
I own many recordings of both pieces, includng the two other SACDs of the Dvorak (Starker and Piatigorsky), both of which are great. The Starker has an amazing quality of immediacy, you feel as if you are standing next to him. In the Miasky (a student of Piatigorsky who previously recorded the Dvorak with Bernstein), especially for the Strauss, you feel as if you are in the orchestra. The sensation is three-dimensional, the brass and woodwinds being very well-miked. Tabea Zimmerman is the faithful sidekick. They are live recordings, with Zubin mehta and the Berliners, but I couldn't find when in the generally puff-piece liner notes.

Fantastic

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Dvorák: Cello Concerto; R. Strauss: Don Quixote

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Deutsche Grammophon

Release Date March 09, 2004
Because of his association with Martha Argerich and his own great talents, Mischa Maisky has made dozens of high profile recordings, and with the recent passing of Rostropovich, he bids fair to be the superstar cellist one thinks of right behind Yo-Yo Ma. This pairing of the Vorak concerto and Don Quixote came out in 2004, but it didn't turn into a high-profile release. It's easy to see why. Given the cello's limited solo repertoire with orchestra, the competition couldn't be more intense.

Even so, this is a wonderful release, in no small part because of the great Berlin players and the lavish sound from DG's engineers. I have never heard a warmer-sounding recording, and it's a joy to catch the nuance of Maisky's tone. He is a musician of nuance rather htan ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Legendary Recordings: The Originals From the Deutsche Grammophon Catalogue

Search: 3 Finale: Allegro
from: Polygram Records

Release Date January 23, 1996
Because of his association with Martha Argerich and his own great talents, Mischa Maisky has made dozens of high profile recordings, and with the recent passing of Rostropovich, he bids fair to be the superstar cellist one thinks of right behind Yo-Yo Ma. This pairing of the Vorak concerto and Don Quixote came out in 2004, but it didn't turn into a high-profile release. It's easy to see why. Given the cello's limited solo repertoire with orchestra, the competition couldn't be more intense.

Even so, this is a wonderful release, in no small part because of the great Berlin players and the lavish sound from DG's engineers. I have never heard a warmer-sounding recording, and it's a joy to catch the nuance of Maisky's tone. He is a musician of nuance rather htan ... Read More: