Julia Fischer, Russian National Orchestra, Jakov Kreizberg - Tchaikovsky: Works for Violin & Orchestra (2006)

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, though not widely appreciated in its time, has come to be one of the crown jewels of the violin concerto repertoire. As such, it has been recorded hundreds of times by as many violinists and various orchestras. In contrast, the miniatures also included on this album are rarely heard; this is truly a shame as they were written before (with the exception of the Op. 42 Souvenir) the concerto and allow listeners to listen in on Tchaikovsky's experimentation and exploration of the instrument before he began writing the concerto. Equally interesting, the Meditation movement of the Op. 42 Souvenir was originally written as the slow movement of the concerto but was later pulled and made into the first movement of the three miniatures.

Violinist Julia Fischer has received extensive accolades and keeps musical company with some of the most prominent performers and conductors of our day. She does not fail to live up to her reputation in this recording. Her sound is deep and throaty, a wonderful quality for this concerto. Fischer's technique and intonation are seamless, and her musical passions shine through in each risk-taking track. For the oft-recorded concerto, however, she does not bring anything new or revolutionary to the table. So while this album is highly recommended for its collection of miniatures and suitable as a first recording of the concerto, listeners who may be seeking something a little fresher may wish to check out Joshua Bell's recording with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Berlin Philharmonic.