Mendelssohn and Beethoven: Violin Concertos
The compositions on this recording include the following:
Bach, J S:
Partita for solo violin No. 1 in B minor, BWV1002: Sarabande
Sarabande from Partita No. 2 in D minor
Beethoven:
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
Mendelssohn:
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
All performed by Nikolaj Znaider (violin), with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Riccardo Chailly conducting
The Daily Telegraph describes Nikolaj Znaider as “the most stimulating young musician playing today, drawing on musical intelligence, perception and dynamism to give performances of rare intensity.”
This release presents one of the world’s foremost violinists playing two landmark concertos, accompanied by the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester ‐ “one of Europe’s finest orchestras” (The Guardian) ‐ under the baton of its music director Riccardo Chailly.
It was the Gewandhausorchester that, in 1845, first performed Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor. Mendelssohn himself had conducted Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major several times and helped this milestone in the history of music to its great breakthrough.
Riccardo Chailly does a masterful job of weaving the orchestra into the fabric of the solo violin. The orchestra is never too loud… always below the magic created by Mr. Znaider’s wonderful playing.
Here is the Beethoven concerto, as played by Mr. Znaider:
