Bruch/Mendelssohn - Violin Concertos

What this recording does is capture a young maesto at the youthful peak of his powers. In an earlier age, like Paginini, he would no doubt have been accused of congress with the devil.

The energetic approach to both pieces undoubtedly has pitfalls, the second movement of Mendelsohn seems to find him all at sea and for this alone will exclude it from the pantheon of great recordings of this particular piece.

However he provides what is possibly the definitive recording of the Bruch, and finishes the album with an absolutely spectacular third movement of Mendelsohn.


Young Maestro   September 13, 2002
24 out of 24 found this review helpful

The usual combination of Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos, so many recordings to choose from, why buy this one?

Well, this is a young man (a 19 year old Vengerov) with his first (loaned) Strad. There is a freshness and vitality in the performance. Listen to the accented runs in the last movement of the Bruch, and the separation and clarity of the individual notes in the first movement of the Mendelssohn. There is something new in this interpretation, which is identifiably Vengerov, and therefore something to treasure.

Personally I hardly ever listen to any of my other recordings of these concerti now, they just lack the pure tone, and excitement I hear when I listen to this.

However I suspect in later life Maxim may want to record these again, certainly his performance of the Mendelssohn is substantially different now, some 9 years later.

But then he's had 9 years more experience to bring to it.