[kunwar]

In my case a tie between Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and Brahms.
Each for a different reason.
No violin concerto I have heard hits you the way mendelssohn does when the first note hits you from the violin.
Brahms really takes of at about 4:15-5:30 depending on the recording and Tchaikovsky oh the 3rd movement is to die for

So I would like your opinions here.

EDIT: BTW, I have a copy of the first movement of Mendelssohn's concerto done by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra 1992, anybody know who played it? I am unable to find any info on the net.

Kunwar

 

[Tyson]

Sibelius. The most spiritual of all violin concerto's.

 

[philodox]

My favourite is Nicolo Paganini's Violin Concerto No.1 in D major, op.6 as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra [Cadenza: August Wilhelmi]. I just got in to classical though, so I don't exactly have the largest collection to choose from.

 

[kunwar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson Sibelius. The most spiritual of all violin concerto's.

recommended recordings if any
Currently only version I have is Nigel kennedy with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Simon Rattle.

i found it good but still keep going back to the Tchaikovsky for musical excellence.
Who would you recommend for a diff./thorough/better rendition of this concerto?

 

[Tyson]

bleh, kennedy is terrible in Sibelius.

My favorite modern version is Mutter with Previn.

For an older "classic" version, Oistrakh is again at the top of the heap.

 

[kunwar]

oistrakh should be good. Mutter is a bit dry for me in her playing style.
thanks for the info

 

[Tyson]

The Oistrakh with Rozhdestvensky conducting is the one to go for, much better than the Oistrakh / Ehrling recording.

Another good alternative is Kyung Wha Chung's recording. More passionate and less spiritual, but convincingly done.

 

[zhentil]

Another Sibelius to consider is Heifetz. He's not as lyrical in the 2nd movement as Oistrakh, but the last three minutes of the first movement are unbelievable. Definitely my favorite.

 

[zhentil]

Also, Shostakovich's violin concerto, performed by Oistrakh with Mitropoulos, is unbelievable. Not to everyone's liking, perhaps, but the raw power is breathtaking.

 

[BrokenEnglish]

another vote for shostakovich. listened to it for month nearly daily... couldn't get enough of it. i prefer the rather unknown michael erxleben recording of berlin classics. it's paired nicely with hartmann's concerto funebre there...

i'd also recommend britten's violin concerto, recently recorded with daniel hope as soloist (warner). but the naxos-version is not bad either...

 

[jamont]

The greatest of the traditional/classical violin concertos is the Beethoven, followed closely by the Brahms.

For modern/20th century concertos, Prokofiev 2, Shostakovich 1, and Britten are right at the top.

 

[Bunnyears]

How about a vote for Bach's violin concerto and his double violin concerto?

I also want to cast a vote for Tchaikovsky's violin concerto especially as done by Heifetz.

And, I have the Vengerov/ Rostropovich LPO recordings of the Prokofiev and Shostakovich violin concertos which I also favor.

 

[MusicJunkie]

For me Shostakovich VC #1 is far and above the best of the bunch. I have about 25 recordings of it and I would say my favourite is the Oistrakh mono recording. I also very much like Vengerov, Repin, Sitvoesky, and Mordkovitch. I have the Erxleben mentioned below which I also like but the passacaglia is sooo slow. It takes a little getting used to.

I have had the opportunity to hear Sarah Chang perform this concerto on 5 different occassions and I think she plays it like no one else. She gives a very powerful and moving performance and she has a very commanding stage presence. If anyone ever gets the opportunity to hear her perform this you should definitely see it.

MJ

 

[CSMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhentil Another Sibelius to consider is Heifetz. He's not as lyrical in the 2nd movement as Oistrakh, but the last three minutes of the first movement are unbelievable. Definitely my favorite.

Really? I find the Sibelius a much lovlier and more melancholy concerto than Heifetz makes it out to be.

It's not a standard recommendation, but I like Little in the Sibelius. It is not a "great" interpretation; that is it does not make the Sibelius a "great" concerto; instead it has tastefulness and varied and direct expressiveness. She also has a decent Brahms concerto on the same disc, a concerto at which many great violinists fail IMO. There are a few recordings of the Sibelius that I want to hear when I have time; including Ostraich and Niveu.

Brahms is my favourite concerto, followed by some others already mentioned here.

BTW for lovers of the Mendelssohn, the Art of Violin DVD starts with the Mendelssohn patched together from preformances of various great violinists. Not great fidelity unfortunately, but a very nice idea and worth hearing if you do not already have many recordings.

 

[kunwar]

For Brahms might I recommend ITzhak Perlman with BPO conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
Such passion and emotion I have yet to see in any others rendition's
I haven't heard it done by Oistrakh or milstein or stern or kremer though.