Born in 1982, violinist Ilya Gringolts, an Itzhak Perlman protégé, seems primed for a major career, as his DG concerto debut disc reveals. His Tchaikovsky concerto easily holds its own among dozens of other versions stuffing the bins. Gringolts's virile yet singing timbre and direct, proportioned musicianship are matched by Perlman's incisive podium support and an attractive orchestral image that brings the composer's lovely woodwind writing to the fore. The young violinist similarly shines in Shostakovich's First Concerto, gearing his sonority to fit each movement's distinct mood. He commences the cadenza in sustained, raspy tones that grow more vibrant and robust as the music progresses. Perlman as soloist, however, enjoyed a more decisively projected, better balanced, and texturally... Less

In 1881, Otakar Sevcik, the 29 year old newly appointed professor of the Kiev Conservatory, forever changed the way violin technique would be studied with the publication of his Op. 1, Violin Left-Hand Technique. Instead of long-winded, meandering studies, Sevcik developed a more concise method that deconstructed technical difficulties in the shortest possible time with the least expenditure of energy, assuring rapid progress and technical proficiency. These initial work established Sevick as one of the foremost pedagogues of his time. Nearly fifty years after the appearance of his Op. 1, Sevick's pioneering spirit took him in the new direction of writing repertoire- specific exercises. His method of teaching included the writing of short exercises called ''purpose exercises'' that... Less

Perform timeless Violin works with a full orchestra! Perfect for practice, rehearsal, auditions, contest solos, performances, and more! Tchaikovsky's soaring, magnificent violin concerto is one of the summits of the literature and one which every aspiring virtuoso needs to learn. Highly recommended, it is truly inspiring music in the great Russian Romantic tradition. Contains a printed score and a compact disc featuring the concerto in split-channel stereo with the violinist on the right channel; then again in a stereo accompaniment version minus the solo violin part. MMO CD 3102 Performed by Geoffrey Applegate, violin Accompaniment: Stuttgart Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Emil Kahn

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The young Ukrainian violinist Valeriy Sokolov, whose playing "requires every superlative in dictionary" (Classic FM Magazine), releases his first recording as an exclusive Virgin Classics artist, a pairing of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Bartók's Violin Concerto No 2. The 24-year-old Ukrainian, who was featured in the Bruno Monsaingeon 2006 documentary, Natural born fiddler, is joined by conductor David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchester. This new concerto program combines great works from the 19th and 20th centuries, both containing elements of folk music. The Strad described one of his performances as "full of effective contrasts, steel alternating with velvet ... his sound sumptuous when he gave it free rein and thrilling when high on the G string. It was dramatic and... Less

Prokofiev Concerto no. 1 in D major, op. 19 The Parisian public became acquainted with the music of Russian composer Serge Prokofiev in 1921, when his compatriot, Serge Koussevitzky, conducted the Scythian Suite. The work was received with some reservation, but the composer's reputation would later grow, thanks to works like the Chout ballet and the Concerto No. 1 for violin and orchestra. Prokofiev had begun his concerto in 1913 but completed it only in 1917. For various reasons, the first production did not take place until 1923 at the Paris Opera, under the direction of Koussevitzky, with violinist Marcel Darrieux as soloist. However, it was Joseph Szigeti who was to popularize the work, performing it in in Prague in 1924 and in Boston the following year. With the exception of the... Less

Release Date: 2008-07-29, Audio CD, PID

Eduard Hanslick a much feared critic in his time was not very complimentary following its première: the violin was no longer being played but rather pulled about torn asunder beaten black and blue. Yet he was not able to stop the triumphal march of Tchaikovsky's only violin concerto. Its incredible technical demands have meant that it is a true test of virtuosity. Its effectivenessis however mainly due to its great expressiveness are there any violinists who do not love the lyrical melancholic Canzonetta? and due to its Slavic temperament. At last and indeed for the first time this milestone in the violinist's repertoire is now available in a text-critical edition which is true to its original form.

Release Date: 2008-07-29, Audio CD, PID

Following the critical success of Ray Chen's solo album, Virtuoso, for which he received the prestigious 2011 German Echo Klassik Award, his new album, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn Violin Concertos, is the young violinist's first concerto recording on the Sony Classical label. This release combines the Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn concertos, both of which have played a significant role in Ray's career so far. His superb performance of these works led to his triumph at two major violin competitions in 2008 he won the Yehudi Menuhin Competition performing the Mendelssohn Concerto, followed by the first prize in the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels a year later with the Tchaikovsky Concerto. Chen brings a fresh interpretation to these cornerstones of violin repertoire and... Less

Young violinists sometimes turn war horses like the Tchaikovsky Concerto into superficial virtuoso displays to show off their technique, but Julia Fischer gives us a thoughtfully nuanced view of the work that exposes details often ignored. Her tone is beautiful, and she varies it to fit the emotional content of the passages she is playing. While her performance is expressive, it is also a mature one -- she doesn't milk parts for their surface impact, rather she digs more deeply into the music to produce a performance that will bear many rehearings. While Fischer generates plenty of excitement in the outer movements, the Canzonetta remains in the memory for the sweet singing of her violin. Her lyric sensibility also makes for a Sérénade mélincolique stunning in its spare beauty. The... Less

Young violinists sometimes turn war horses like the Tchaikovsky Concerto into superficial virtuoso displays to show off their technique, but Julia Fischer gives us a thoughtfully nuanced view of the work that exposes details often ignored. Her tone is beautiful, and she varies it to fit the emotional content of the passages she is playing. While her performance is expressive, it is also a mature one -- she doesn't milk parts for their surface impact, rather she digs more deeply into the music to produce a performance that will bear many rehearings. While Fischer generates plenty of excitement in the outer movements, the Canzonetta remains in the memory for the sweet singing of her violin. Her lyric sensibility also makes for a Sérénade mélincolique stunning in its spare beauty. The... Less

Defining "wiry," {$Zino Francescatti}'s tone is lean, hard but edgy. At the same time, however, {$Francescatti}'s close to sentimental interpretations almost imperceptibly but undeniably define "sweet." In these 1961 and 1965 recordings of {$Mendelssohn}

It made its creator world-famous and added a towering masterpiece to the standard repertoire: Max Bruch's First Violin Concerto in G minor. Now it's appearing at last in an urtext edition from Henle. Bruch himself was not always overjoyed at his work's popularity: 'I can't listen to this concerto anymore ' he once complained to his publisher Simrock 'do you suppose I've only written one concerto?' By now the Bruch Concerto has found a permanent place in the world's concert halls. Henle's edition provides not only a razor-sharp urtext for the solo part but a preface that alone is worth the price of the volume: who could have guessed that the concerto went through a convoluted genesis with multi-layered revisions and that some of the changes go back to the famous violinist Joseph Joachim?

This Dutton CD comprises the late 1940s recordings made by Polish conductor Gregor Fitelberg in performances of Szymanowski, Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky with the London Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestras. Eugenia Umi?ska is the soloist in the Szymanowski Violin Concerto. Remastered from the original 78-rpm discs for Dutton's trademark crystal clear sound. Track listing: Rimsky-Korsakov: Tsar Saltan Suite op.57 - i. The Tsar's Departure and Farewell, ii. The Tsarina and her son afloat in the cask, iii. The Three Wonders, Gregor Fitelberg (conductor), London Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded 15.04.46, Wembley Town Hall, Middlesex; Tchaikovsky: Symphony no.3 in D op.29 'Polish' - i. Moderato assai - Allegro brillante, ii. Alla tedesca - Allegro moderato e semplice, iii. Andante... Less

This recording was one for the record books from the day it was made. There's an absolutely terrible 1940s movie called Carnegie Hall about a woman who works at the hall as an usher after the death of her drunken husband, supporting her young, musically talented son. She wants him to be a great classical artist, and he wants to play (gasp!) jazz. There are a million star turns by great musicians here, and two of them are Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Reiner, so you actually see them together. Reiner wears his habitual scowl, while Heifetz is coldly aristocratic; in fact, they look totally miserable. But what music they make! Thank God we can't see them on CD, and only have the incredible sound that they have left behind. --David Hurwitz

Release Date: 1996-04-09, Audio CD, Elektra / Wea

This recording was one for the record books from the day it was made. There's an absolutely terrible 1940s movie called Carnegie Hall about a woman who works at the hall as an usher after the death of her drunken husband, supporting her young, musically talented son. She wants him to be a great classical artist, and he wants to play (gasp!) jazz. There are a million star turns by great musicians here, and two of them are Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Reiner, so you actually see them together. Reiner wears his habitual scowl, while Heifetz is coldly aristocratic; in fact, they look totally miserable. But what music they make! Thank God we can't see them on CD, and only have the incredible sound that they have left behind. --David Hurwitz

BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.61 I. Allegro ma non troppo II. Larghetto III. Rondo. Allegro Violin: Leonid Kogan Conductor: Pavel Kogan USSR State Symphony Orchestra Recorded: Nov. 26 1980 TCHAIKOVSKY, PETER Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher' d minor, Op.42 No.1 "Meditation" Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher' c minor, Op.42 No.2 "Scherzo" Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher' E Major, Op.42 No.3 "Melody" Serenade Melancholique in b minor, Op.26 Valse-Scherzo for Violin and Orchestra C Major, Op.34 Violin: Victor Tretyakov Conductor: Mariss Yansons USSR State Symphony Orchestra Recorded: October 30, 1981 STEREO

Release Date: 1998-03-10, Audio CD, Polygram Int'l