Violin Concertos

For the composers you list, here are performances with good sound quality that I enjoy...

Beethoven -
Giulini/CSO, Perlman -vn, EMI
Munch/BSO, Heifitz -vn, RCA (Classic Records reissue)

Mendelsohn -
Munch/BSO, Heifetz -vn, RCA (Classic Records reissue)

Paganini -
Foster/RPO, Perlman -vn, EMI

Saint-Saens -
Foster/LSO, Chung -vn, Decca/London

Tchaikovsky -
Wallenstein/LSO, Perlman -vn, Chesky reissue
Reiner/CSO, Heifetz -vn, RCA (Classic Records reissue)

Great recommendations. I would like to thank everybody and hope there are some more to come, not limited to the composers I originally listed. The reason I only listed a few is because I have seen some earlier discussions from Audiogon and AudioAsylum forum and have already tried some of their recommedations. Most CD's I bought, however, were from young generation-Shaham, Hahn, Chang, Mutter, Chee-Yun, Bell, etc. I'll start exploring some earlier work, especially those by Heifetz. I like Perlman too. Looks like some the major record companies start to rematerer more of Heifetz's work. Twl, thank you for recommending Khachaturian's work. I'll try that. I just started listening to his Spartacus. Kweifi, thank you for your recommendation on Takako Nishizaki's work. I'll order one from web store. I hope one day somebody is going to put it on a XRCD.

Oistrakh performs Bartok,Hindemith,Szymanowski on Forlane lable. Oistrakh performs Sibelius on Sony with Ormandy and with Rozhdestvensky, he takes both EXACTLY the same tempo!!, the Rozhdestvensky is my favorite. Oistrakh performs Beethoven with Cluytens on Seraphim($5!!), the best. Oistrakh performs Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with Rozhdestvensky on Russian Revelation. Prague lable has a 6 CD set of Oistrakh's performances of many great works. Well worth the $50. Philips has Vol 1 and Vol 2 20TH Century Violin Concerti, Szeryng, Oistrakh and others performing great compositions. Vox has a Cd with Aaron Rosand playing a very nice composition by Sarasate called Zigeunerweisen. The sound quality on some of these CD's are not great, but these performances are a pleasure to hear, essential to have in your collection.

As far as performances of these concertos go, I would look at any with David Oistrakh.

Hello Aliu,

If you don't mind some "off-the-beaten (bowed)-path" repertoire, try the Barber and Korngold violin concerti. A fine sounding CD is available on DGG with violinist Gil Shaham, André Previn and the LSO. Another fabulous "new (1977)" violin concerto is by Einojuhani Rautavaara, a Finnish composer. It is available on the Ondine lable with Elmar Oliveira, violin and the Helsinki Philharmonic conducted by Leif Segerstam. The sound on this cd is demonstration class.

With best wishes,
Santiago