The first-ever pairing of these two marvellous ‘Double’ Concertos on CD. The Brahms is a classic performance, gutsy as well as autumnal and the work comes from towards the end of the composer’s rich harvest. The Mendelssohn, by far the lesser-known of the two pieces, conversely comes from the beginning of his life – in fact, his teenage years! It is delightfully tuneful and full of the most amazing acrobatics for both violin and piano, into which the soloists inject every ounce of their high-wire energy (the recording has previously only been available in the Netherlands).
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Concerto in A minor for Violin, Cello & Orchestra, Op. 102
Henryk Szeryng, violin
János Starker, cello
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings in D minor
Jaap van Zweden, violin
Ronald Brautigam, piano
Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra
‘Janos Starker projects mastery and imagination throughout… a full, lush Brahmsian sound’ ClassicsToday.com
Both van Zweden and Brautigam give crackerjack performances’ ClassicsToday.com