Bruch & Brahms Violin Concertos

This record is a bargain beyond compare. In the last few days, a friend and I surveyed recordings of the Brahms violin concerto during which we listened to perhaps a score of records dating from Hilary Hahn's in the present day back to Kreisler's first electronic recording in Berlin in 1927. Our concern was with a tricky passage at the start of the slow movement, where the oboe hands the main melody to the violin and a piccolo provides a counterpoint. Depending on how the instruments are joined, the place can be heaven or hell. In Tasmin Little's recording with Handley and the Liverpool orchestra, all these elements are managed perfectly; and Tasmin is magnificent. Indeed, with everything into the bargain, we were convinced that no better recording of the concerto can be found. This assessment is based in no small measure on magnificent contributions from Handley and the orchestra; but the soloist is the crucial player, and in this case she is superb. You might go to other recordings for different insights into the music or qualities in the playing, but this is the recording to which I would repair if I simply want to enjoy the music. The coupling on this disc, Bruch, finds Tasmin in an exalted mood that recalls the great old days of Kulenkampff and other masters of his ilk. For a fiver, you can simply buy this disc and not look back.