The Daily Telegraph describes Nikolaj Znaider as "the most stimulating young musician playing today, drawing on musical intelligence, perception and dynamism to give performances of rare intensity.” This release presents one of the world's foremost violinists playing two landmark concertos, accompanied by the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester ‐ "one of Europe's finest orchestras" (The Guardian) ‐ under the baton of its music director Riccardo Chailly.

It was the Gewandhausorchester that, in 1845, first performed Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor. Mendelssohn himself had conducted Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D major several times and helped this milestone in the history of music to its great breakthrough.

Reviews

There’s an extra frisson for violinophiles: Znaider is playing a Guarneri del Gesù that once belonged to Fritz Kreisler. It looks almost as gorgeous as it sounds and this is the closest we can see its burnished tawny striped without handling the fiddle itself. ... In these highly intelligent and technically flawless performances the two pieces’ essential qualities of strength and spirituality (Beethoven) and high energy and tenderness (Mendelssohn) are able to shine through, unimpeded. Jessica Duchen (Concerto Choice)

BBC Music Magazine June 2016