Christian Tetzlaff: Beethoven - Violin Concerto

Christian Tetzlaff, David Zinman and the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra excel in this fine Beethoven recording.

Composer: Beethoven

Repertoire: Violin Concerto, Two Romances
Artists: Christian Tetzlaff (violin), Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra/David Zinman
Rating: 4/5

Genre: Instrumental

Label: Arte Nova Classics 82876 76994 2

This is a recording with an intelligent difference. At first the opening bars startle, as their four repeated kettledrum-strokes are tapped out with a much firmer stick than usual. Then, as the long opening movement unfolds, the dialogue between this mood of military crispness and the violin’s song-like lyrical flights becomes more and more telling. Tetzlaff’s playing unerringly combines tight-reined control and soaring musicianship. And he has transcribed the cadenzas from Beethoven’s own piano concerto version of the work (where the timpani join in) back for the violin, an idea that works impressively well. Zinman and this quality orchestra excel also.