Higdon/Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos

"..the Higdon Concerto is very finely crafted indeed. The composer's trump card is her preternaturally apt orchestration, a balanced depth of sound in which even odd touches - a woozy flexatone; a nasal, organlike woodwind choir - enhance the smooth sheen of the whole. (The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, conducted by Vasily Petrenko, brings out the score's velvety potential.) Hahn is excellent, the part ideal for her meticulous tone: fine-grained and silvery, bringing out a classicism in the Tchaikovsky, emphasizing Higdon's cosmopolitan eloquence."
Record Review Boston Globe September 2010

"Hahn's intuitive phrasing and overall rich, vibrant tone keeps us listening anew. Heifetz comes to mind, although Hahn eschews his urgent speed and imposing showmanship. The first movement has a noble quality reinforced by Vasily Petrenko's idiomatic and impassioned conducting--so much so that Beethoven emerges as a founding model for this concerto. The Canzonetta is tender and touching without becoming cloying, while in the finale Hahn demonstrates how to convey the music's power and joy without resorting to breakneck speed. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic plays magnificently for Petrenko, and the live recording does the orchestra and soloist--and the occasion--full justice. This release is a must acquisition for anyone interested in new music, and for all lovers of great violin playing."
(10 / 10 ClassicsToday Oct 2010)