Search - Edward Elgar, Andrew Davis, Philharmonia Orchestra of London :: Elgar: Violin Concerto; Serenade for Strings

Don't miss it!

Jeff Dunn | Alameda, California United States | 04/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was reading rave reviews of this release in the Elgar Society journal, and had to try it out, despite my many other recordings of this masterwork. Surprisingly, the hype across the ocean was justified: Only the Menuhin performance conducted by Elgar himself exceeds this interpretation, which is on a par with Kennedy's, and better than Perlman's.



Ehnes's rendition is virtuosic without being flamboyant. I was amazed that such a smooth sound quality could be conveyed without compromizing passion. Conductor Andrew Davis is to be congratulated as well for his (at last!) superb grasp of Elgarian rubato and tempo choices. The engineering is excellent as well as the coupling.



The second movement is the greatest triumph of this disc, but the third is also exceptional. Only the first movement, while excellent, pales slightly in comparison to the Menuhin/Elgar. For an alternative, although currently unavailable, the Russian(!) peformance by Igor Oistrakh and the Moscow Symphony is worth obtaining for its no-holds-barred approach to the music."

The 2nd movement of the Violin Concerto.....

Paul | Houston | 08/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"is without question the best I own. There is something lush, rich and warm about his instruments' tone and his control which is stunning and must be heard to be believed especially using high quality electrostatic speakers. The balance with soloist and orchestral depth is beautifully controlled and is a delight to revel in while listening. Its a MUST GET.

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