The Wiener Symphoniker and soloist Arabella Steinbacher indeed do justice to these masterworks by Brahms and Schumann in this live recording. Steinbacher is a violinist quite up to the task of the Brahms Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77, as her entry after the orchestral introduction shows an artist who plays with precision and clarity. Her style is generally light and lyrical, with a sense of delicacy and sensitivity. However, the passionate outburst, as it were, halfway through the first movement is a nice contrast to her ...
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The Wiener Symphoniker and soloist Arabella Steinbacher indeed do justice to these masterworks by Brahms and Schumann in this live recording. Steinbacher is a violinist quite up to the task of the Brahms Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77, as her entry after the orchestral introduction shows an artist who plays with precision and clarity. Her style is generally light and lyrical, with a sense of delicacy and sensitivity. However, the passionate outburst, as it were, halfway through the first movement is a nice contrast to her smooth, clean lines. Her cadenza at the end of the first movement is also quite passionate and the listener can hear her fire emerge. Yet it is never sloppy, a sure sign that Steinbacher's technique is excellent and solid underneath her artistry. The violin positively sings tenderly and heartbreakingly at the end. While her bowing can run on the thin side, as it seems in the second movement, it is always steady and the lines never break. Steinbacher's interpretation of the third...
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