Violin - Classical Explorer

David Oistrakh Melodiya Rarities

A fabulous disc: I should emphasise this is not for historical recording specialists: the power of the performances coupled with Biddulph's trimphant transfers makes this an essential listen

Baroque

Leclair Violin Sonatas on Naxos

A simply lovely disc, beautifully performed

Contemporary

The Music of Ondřej Adámek

Two highly significant World Premieres caught for posterity

Violin

Sibelius and the Violin

For many, I hope, this disc will be a revelation: a different side of Sibelius from the symphonist and purveyor of tone poems we all know and love

20th Century

Žal: the music of Milosz Magin

This disc will be revelatory to many people ...

Beethoven

Beethoven Violin Sonatas from BIS

Fine, intelligent performances, well worth seeking out

Mozart

Francesca Dego plays Mozart

A release for all lovers of Mozart: life-enhancing, bracing, beautiful

Mozart

Mozart Violin Sonatas

With a playing time of just under 80 minutes, this is a surefire bargain!

Villa-Lobos

Villa-Lobos Violin Sonatas

... in a sense a South American Schubert, music just flowed out of Villa-Lobos

Baroque

Nicola Benedetti: Baroque

Benedetti is on radiant form in performances that are impeccably in style yet contain a real zest for life; a gift indeed

Beethoven

Beethoven meets Schnittke

A very special release, caught in BIS' trademark excellent sound

Contemporary

Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the music of Francisco Coll

Kudos to Pentatone for daring to release this disc and to Kopatchinskaja and Gimeno for their indefatigable belief in Coll's music

Violin

Francesca Dego plays Paganini and Wolf-Ferrari

A disc to cherish; a fabulously inventive coupling, and performances that glow with the energy of youth

Beethoven

Beethoven Violin Sonatas

Previously on Classical Explorer, we looked at performances of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas by James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong on Onyx; here's a disc of three sonatas by a similarly youthful duo: Frank Peter Zimmermann and Martin Helmchen. This new BIS disc presents the Sonatas Nos. 5-7, which means it

Violin

Paris: Hilary Hahn plays Chausson, Prokofiev & Rautavaara

The choice of music is exquisite; the result, fully satisfying ...

Baroque

Il Labirinto Armonico: Three Violin Concertos by Locatelli

The excellence of the Finnish Baroque Orchestra, with a contunuo group that includes a lute, is never in doubt; neither is Gringolts' stunning virtuosity. But it is Locatelli that leaves the most lasting impression, just as it should be ...

Schnittke

Discovering Schnittke: Violinist Daniel Hope in fine form

Hope and Botvinov's 2019 performances offer a perfect introduction to Schnittke's chamber music for violin

Violin

Living the Dream: Francesca Dego records on Paganini's "Il Cannone"

The opportunity to record on Paganini's own violin, the legendary "Il Cannone" (a Guarneri del Gesû, 1743) hardly comes along every day ...

Violin

Martinů and Bartók from BIS

A wonderful disc. The repertoire choices could hardly be bettered ...

Chamber

Entente Musicale

Whatever is happening elsewhere, Anglo-French relations are just fine on this disc, with Delius, Cyril Scott, Ireland and Bax rubbing shoulders perfectly affably with Debussy and Ravel. Music from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, then, a time when King Edward VII did much to foster an entente

Violin

Britten's Violin Concerto

Britten's operas - rightly - receive a huge amount of attention, and one should perhaps mention that the recent Peter Grimes on Chandos is remarkable as well as acknowledging with sadness the passing of that recording's astonishing Ellen Orford, the wonderful Erin Wall. Britten's concertos, though, have been sidelined. I

Violin

City Lights: Violinist Lisa Batiashvili roams the Globe

Warmth and friendship suffuse this album