Renaud Capuçon - Beethoven & Korngold: Violin Concertos (2009)

If one did not know that French violinist Renaud Capucon had gotten married just two days earlier, one might almost have guessed it from these extraordinarily joyful recordings he made of Beethoven's and Korngold's violin concertos. Capucon was already well known among classical music cognoscenti from his many chamber music recordings for his supple phrasing, effortless lyricism, sweet tone, and big sound. But his previous concerto recordings of Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Schumann, while exemplary, have not revealed his stature as a soloist as well as these performances. Here, Capucon sounds every inch the major international violinist. His playing, as always, is brilliant and beguiling, and his interpretations are filled with strength, energy, and, above all, an indescribable but palpable love. There's a tenderness and affection in his Beethoven concerto, and an excitement and enjoyment in his Korngold that few other violinists have matched and none have exceeded. Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin elicits warm-hearted accompaniments from the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Virgin provides the musicians with lushly colored and richly detailed digital sound. -- James Leonard