Violin Concerto in D minor

Jean Sibelius

D minor

Recordings

Top Choice

Cho-Liang Lin / Esa-Pekka Salonen / Philharmonia Orchestra

1987

Gil's prime recommendation. A 'justly famous' digital recording that 'just hits all the right notes.' 'Passion, the drama, it's very warm and heartfelt, just very well-paced'.

Also Worth Hearing

Pekka Kuusisto / Leif Segerstam / Helsinki Philharmonic

1990s

Pristine sound. A 'really intense, dramatic performance.' Kuusisto has a 'really smooth tone, almost a little bit icy... that goes well with this piece'.

Jascha Heifetz / Walter Hendl / Chicago Symphony

1959

One of Heifetz's 'best interpretations' in stereo. 'An ideal concerto for his mix of virtuosity with control.' He 'brings the drama, the virtuosity'.

David Oistrakh / Eugene Ormandy / Philadelphia Orchestra

1959

A reference version. 'Much more extrovert and emotive' than Heifetz. 'Really passionate... he plays like a god in this thing'.

Anne-Sophie Mutter / André Previn / Dresden Staatskapelle

1995

'A little bit more introspective.' 'Very searching, very poetic, very individual'.

Ginette Neveu / Walter Susskind / Philharmonia Orchestra

1945 Historic recording

Mid-1940s sound. 'Worth it to hear Neveu.' A 'supreme artist,' with 'so much soul and heart and passion... just really going for broke'.

Jascha Heifetz / Sir Thomas Beecham / London Philharmonic

1935 Historic recording

A 'real famous recording.' Gil finds Heifetz 'even better in this one' than his stereo version, with a better collaborator. 'Very passionate, very powerful, very dramatic'.