Hilary Hahn - Mendelssohn and Shostakovich Violin Concertos (2002) [SACD]

Hilary Hahn performs the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, accompanied by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolff, as well as the Shostakovich 1st Violin Concerto with the same orchestra conducted by Marek Janowski.
Another impressive recording by Hilary Hahn to add to her previous superb versions of concertos of Barber, Beethoven, Brahms and Stravinsky (as well as Bernstein’s Serenade). Her playing of Mendelssohn’s concerto is cool, elegant perfection – but the real prize of this disk is her dazzling performance of the Shostakovich which apparently is one of her favorite works. Premiered in 1955 with David Oistrakh as soloist, this concerto has been reviewed twice on this site (Oistrakh with Mitropoulos conducting ; another version by Vladimir Spivakov with James Conlon on the podium. Recorded in 2002 in the Oslo Concert House with Thomas Frost as producer and Arne Akselberg as engineer, Sony’s sound picture is rather distant, clear and resonant with Hahn not overly prominent, the rear channels providing unobtrusive ambient sound.

Tracks:

Mendelssohn
1. Allegro molto appassionato
2. Andante
3. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace

Shostakovich
1. Nocturne, Moderato
2. Scherzo. Allegro non troppo
3. Passacaglia, Andante
4. Cadenza
5. Burlesque. Allegro con brio