Over the years I've come to treasure certain violinists for their interpretations of particular repertoire, either live or on recordings. For me they somehow "fit" - as if they owned the work. Here's my Top 10:
1. Janine Jansen's Britten Concerto (with Daniel Harding and the Berlin Phil).
2. Christian Tetzlaff's Berg Concerto with the Berlin Phil, where he played Bach as an encore.
3. Gidon Kremer's Erlkonig.
4. Thomas Zehetmair's Mendelssohn Concerto.
5. Thomas Zehetmair's Ysaye Ballade.
6. PatKop's Crin.
7. Heifetz's Korngold Concerto.
8. Alexander Markov's Paganini.
9. Philippe Quint's Red Violin Caprices.
10. James Ehnes's Barber Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
2 of the above violinists have my favorite quartet recordings: Tetzlaff Quartet (Schoenberg 1) and Zehetmair Quartet (Schumann).
I've yet to find my ideal Sibelius Concerto. Rotten Tomatoes award goes to Tetzlaff for his Tchaikovsky Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony. Special mention: Aleksey Igudesman for outstanding comic genius.
Who are your favorites?
