[csacks]

Just to add a new record of this spectacular violin concert, there a very nice version by Osmo Vänskä and the Lathi Symphony Orchestra. The soloist is Leonidas Kavakos. It is included in a cycle with all the symphonic music by Sibelius. To be honest, first time to ear about all of them, but it is certainly a problem of being in the antipodes down here in Chile because IMHO they worth to be listened

 

[kangxi]

I bought the Ginette Neveu for the Brahms coupling, but very quickly got hooked on the Sibelius. What passion she brings to it. Someone once rtold me that after the recording she had blood all over her neck. Is this true?
What a loss to music that she died so early. The wiki article on the plane crash says " It has been said that Ginette Neveu's body was found still clutching her Stradivarius in her arms." Did the violin escape unscathed? Broken but repairable? I wonder where it is now.

 

[LouisMasterMusic]

My favorite interpretation is Ida Haendel, with Paavo Berglund conducting the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The Perlman recording with Leinsdorf on RCA (coupled with the Tchaikovsky Concerto) is exceptional. He's my favourite violinist, always bringing joy and meaning to his performances in a unique way, because he was Jewish.

 

[nightscape]

Mullova/Ozawa with Boston, also coupled with Tchaikovsky.

 

[Skilmarilion]

Vengerov/Barenboim is simply a stunner; heartily recommended.

 

[mtmailey]

The last movement of the violin concerto i like the most.

 

[hpowders]

Heifetz owned this concerto-both with Beecham and with Hendl.

 

[bigshot]

Heifetz. No question.

 

[Joachim Raff]

New kid on the block that vamps it up a notch

1st Choice:

2nd Choice:

 

[MarkW]

By the accident of when I happened to have tickets, I stumbled into the young Perlman's debut with the BSO under Leinsdorf. I was a teen, had never heard of either the concerto or the soloist, and was completely blown away. Like the symphonies, this concerto benefits by being played in a really resonant hall like Symphony Hall. The finale is absolutely electrifying.

 

[SONNET CLV]

Some great recommendations for the Sibelius Violin Concerto appear in this thread so far, so I need add no more. Still, I want to point out a true treasure in my disc collection: the Deutsche Grammophon ‎recording, catalogue number 474 814-2, featuring Ilya Gringolts backed by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi.

But I don't want to blame Järvi or his Gothenburg band. Rather, the reason I treasure this particular disc is not that it's good, but because it is so badly played by soloist Gringolts. Almost unlistenable, if you know this work well via other recordings. Still, I like to have "weak" (I'll be kind) recordings on hand for comparison sakes, and this one with Gringolts serves well to show just how a great concerto can be ruined by a, dare I say, incompetent performer. Just listen to the opening measures when the violin starts and compare with any other version you have on hand -- the point will be made.

What I really like about this Deutsche Grammophon release is the front cover photo, attributed to photographer Mats Bäcker. Note how violinist Gringolts seems to be hiding behind his instrument. Hiding in shame, I take it, for having just released such a trashy performance of this great Sibelius concerto.

 

[Allegro Con Brio]

The first version I heard was by Camilla Wicks with Sixten Erhling, and I fell in love with it immediately. To this day the finale remains my ultimate piece of "fun" music. I play it when I feel the insatiable need to dance. Here's that gorgeous, atmospheric Wicks recording:

 

[philoctetes]

Some great recommendations for the Sibelius Violin Concerto appear in this thread so far, so I need add no more. Still, I want to point out a true treasure in my disc collection: the Deutsche Grammophon ‎recording, catalogue number 474 814-2, featuring Ilya Gringolts backed by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Järvi.

View attachment 131535

But I don't want to blame Järvi or his Gothenburg band. Rather, the reason I treasure this particular disc is not that it's good, but because it is so badly played by soloist Gringolts. Almost unlistenable, if you know this work well via other recordings. Still, I like to have "weak" (I'll be kind) recordings on hand for comparison sakes, and this one with Gringolts serves well to show just how a great concerto can be ruined by a, dare I say, incompetent performer. Just listen to the opening measures when the violin starts and compare with any other version you have on hand -- the point will be made.

What I really like about this Deutsche Grammophon release is the front cover photo, attributed to photographer Mats Bäcker. Note how violinist Gringolts seems to be hiding behind his instrument. Hiding in shame, I take it, for having just released such a trashy performance of this great Sibelius concerto.

if this guy is from the Gringolts Quartet then I've suffered an equivalent loss with their Schoenberg...

 

[Sad Al]

What do you think about Heimo Haitto, with Paavo Berglund conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra? The c. 1964 mono recording could be better, but you can hear Haitto very well, his playing is demonic and it's all Finnish.

 

[mikeh375]

I've been enchanted by Hahn's musicality and easy virtuosity. This performance is quite something, what a sound she has.

 

[Heck148]

Heifetz/Hendl/CSO for me...tremendous performance...I played this with Hendl at Eastman
with one of the Performer certificate candidates as soloist...really memorable... Walter really knew the piece...
I have the Oistrakh/Ormandy, but I find it disappointing.. terrible sound - orchestra sounds distant, little presence for Oistrakh, who had a big tone..there is a video of Oistrakh/Reiner/NYPO Carnegie Hall c. 1946(??) of mvt II...which is really marvelous....

 

[Bigbang]

Heifetz/Hendl/CSO for me...tremendous performance...I played this with Hendl at Eastman
with one of the Performer certificate candidates as soloist...really memorable... Walter really knew the piece...
I have the Oistrakh/Ormandy, but I find it disappointing.. terrible sound - orchestra sounds distant, little presence for Oistrakh, who had a big tone..there is a video of Oistrakh/Reiner/NYPO Carnegie Hall c. 1946(??) of mvt II...which is really marvelous....

I have Heifetz Sibelius (first recording?) from the 30's. No doubt Heifetz makes me listen intently to Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn as well as Sibelius.

What is your opinion on Ormandy with violinist Dylana Jenson playing the Sibelius violin concerto? I was surprise how much I liked it and wonder if others appreciate it too.

 

[Heck148]

I have Heifetz Sibelius (first recording?) from the 30's. No doubt Heifetz makes me listen intently to Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn as well as Sibelius.

What is your opinion on Ormandy with violinist Dylana Jenson playing the Sibelius violin concerto? I was surprise how much I liked it and wonder if others appreciate it too.

Haven't heard that recording...my main gripe with the Oistrakh/Ormandy is the sound, which makes the whole thing sound pretty wimpy...not what we expect from Oustrakh, or Philadelphia...

 

[Enthusiast]

Not Heifetz for me. I prefer more idiomatic performances. There are many many recordings of it that I do like, though. Kuusisto with Segerstam is good. I like Accardo with Colin Davis for being daringly different. Batiashvili has recorded it twice (already!): both are good and the second one with Barenboim is exceptionally good. Then there are the Kavakos recordings with Vanska - good but what is exceptional is that they also give us the (very different) original version from before Sibelius had edited it down to the work we know today.