Excellent Elgar (Pick #3)

Yo-Yo Ma performs as soloist with the Chicago Symphony and Daniel Barenboim in a magnificent performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. This version is much different from the one Jacqueline Du Pre did with Barenboim- hers is a more avant-garde performance,; she often disregards Elgar’s intended tempo or dynamics. I prefer the stability and crispness of Ma’s playing here.

 

A Piece of Brahms Well Played By All (Classical Music Pick #2)

Soloist Julia Fischer performs the dark first movement of Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the NDR Sinfonieorchester (North German Radio Symphony) under the baton of Michael Tilson-Thomas.

The second part of the first movement should appear as one of the options after the video ends. It should be titled ’02 Brahms Violin Concerto’. The same should be true of the third part.

 

Classical Music Pick

Staatskapelle Dresden’s clean, tart Eastern European sound complement Maurizio Pollini’s skillful playing in a recent adaptation of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor. The first movement is above.