Sibelius - Violin Concerto [Zukerman/ Barenboim-London Philharmonic Orchestra] I played this while walking to Church today, and this was one of those rare sublime experiences where i truly felt on a music high!, the passion and drama were of a high intensity, the soloist and orchestra were unified, and yet they drew sparks from each other in a spirit of competition too, this could well be my favourite Violin Concerto emerging.
Pinchas Zukerman is an American Violinist, born in 1948, he made this recording in 1975, the front cover booklet photo is absolutely stunning, another Ebay purchase, and when i saw it on some foreign Ebay site, i knew i had to win it, the photo is by Gerd Weissing, it doesn't say where it was taken, i like to think it's up in the lonely lakes of Finland, it's a superb landscape shot, full of character, a sunset i take it, the brilliant sun making a starburst behind some clouds, and great reflections / highlights on the water, i love these DG Resonance recordings, and the picture goes so well with the Violin Concerto.
Every one of these three movements was a revelation, there's just some days when it all comes together just so perfect, today was that day, if i had to plump for one movement over the others, then it would have to be the middle Adagio Di Molto, there's a sheer passion in Zukerman here, over long periods he can play with concentration and interest, firmly pointing me north upwards towards an intense stratosphere,
Here's Akiko Suwanai playing the slow movement on YouTube.
