This 2014 Onyx release gives violinist James Ehnes an opportunity to present his talents in different contexts, first as the soloist in the Violin Concerto by Aram Khachaturian, and secondly as the leader of the Ehnes String Quartet in performances of Dmitry Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, and the String Quartet No. 8 in C minor. Naturally, the concerto is a colorful display piece that gives Ehnes the chance to show off his prodigious skills, and he is outstanding in this exciting performance with the ...
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This 2014 Onyx release gives violinist James Ehnes an opportunity to present his talents in different contexts, first as the soloist in the Violin Concerto by Aram Khachaturian, and secondly as the leader of the Ehnes String Quartet in performances of Dmitry Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor, and the String Quartet No. 8 in C minor. Naturally, the concerto is a colorful display piece that gives Ehnes the chance to show off his prodigious skills, and he is outstanding in this exciting performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. Khachaturian's music was calculated for maximum effect, as a vehicle for the great David Oistrakh, and the violin receives central placement in the scoring, with many openings in the active orchestration to let it shine. To further that aim, Ehnes is recorded with a fairly close microphone that puts him up front, and every note is perfectly audible. The two string quartets contrast with the concerto in their smaller sound...
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