BRAHMS

Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77

Double Concerto for violin and cello in A minor, Op. 102

Julia Fischer, Daniel Müller-Schott

Netherlands PO / Yakov Kreizberg

Following on from Julia Fischer’s awarding winning recording of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto (PTC5186095), this disc hardly needs further recommendation. Brahms’ violin concerto is one of the high points of the violin repertoire and Fischer has performed the concerto many times with various orchestras and always received rave reviews. In the double concerto she has teamed up with Daniel-Müller Schott a combination which was earlier successful on PentaTone’s Mendelssohn trio’s album (PTC5186085). Daniel Müller-Schott is one of the greatest cellists of his generation and has his own fan base.

The brilliant young German violinist Julia Fischer has already established a close relationship with the Amsterdam-based Pentatone label – a management buyout by former Philips employees, who now own some of the latter company’s back catalogue – and with Kreizberg. All of Fischer’s previous concerto discs have been conducted by the Russian-born American Yakov Kreizberg, but with different orchestras – the Russian National Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Here, with Kreizberg’s own Dutch company, she rises majestically to the challenge of Brahms’s two great string concertos. Fischer may be only in her mid-twenties, but she is already a mature artist, in command of a sweet, singing tone, formidable virtuosity and a breadth of vision that makes her Brahms especially compelling. She and her 29-year-old compatriot Daniel Müller-Schott – arguably the finest cellist of his generation – give the Double Concerto one of the most beautiful and idiomatic readings on disc in recent years.

Times, Four stars

“…(Julia Fischer) rises majestically to the challenge of Brahm’s two great string concerto’s….in command of a sweet, singng tone, formidable virtuosity and a breadth of vision that makes her Brahm’s especially compelling”.

“..the Double Concerto one of the most beautiful and idiomatic readings on disc in recent years. Four stars.”

Hugn Canning, Sunday Times

“Regardless of her age, this stunning disc confirms her (Julia Fischer) as one of the world’s leading musicians…In all a fabulous disc which repays playing again and again.”

Gramophone Magazine August 2007

Editors Choice in the August 2007 edition of Gramophone Magazine

Disc of the Month in July 2007 Classic FM Magazine.

Five star performance & sound Proms Edition BBC Music Magazine

Pentatone SACD PTC5186066