A violinist in a class of his own, Renaud Capuçon shows us here that the violin is king.

An excellent title for a wonderful set of CDs! While it does not encompass the entire range of performances ever given by the most famous and gifted violinist of his generation, it does represent what is often called "the best of", although I prefer to describe it as … a walk in the forest. There are as many pieces and different approaches as there are trees in a forest or flowers in a bouquet.

It's a forest of music, a bouquet of delights: concertos, chamber music, sonatas, duos, trios, piano quartets, quintets, etc. Brahms, Schumann, Debussy, Gluck, Schubert, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Fauré, Korngold. All Renaud's composers of choice are included – overwhelming, towering masterpieces for piano, cello, viola and orchestra.

Collaborators whom he counts among his friends and who form part of what one might term the "Capuçon galaxy" are a virtually constant presence, for one of the distinctive things about Renaud Capuçon is that over the years, as his reputation and virtuosity have grown, as his mastery and maturity have increased, he has been able to build up a network of friendships, partnerships and common bonds which have come to joyous fruition every year at his Bel Air Festival. From Vienna to Lugano, from France and Europe to Australia, Renaud Capucon has built his own world, developed his own tastes, his own affinity with other artists who love him and whom he loves in return - they are his family.

Along this walk we encounter the great Martha Argerich who undoubtedly served as a role model for the young Renaud when he first encountered the network of friendships surrounding the pianist and witnessed her fondness for bringing together the talents of unknown young musicians. His brother Gautier is there too, passionate and serious, as are the pianists with whom Renaud enjoys playing: Braley, Angelich, Ducros, Dalberto.

Along the way we also meet Pahud on flute, Meyer on clarinet, Caussé on viola as well as several of the greats who bring their own direction, their own dialogue with this brilliant soloist: Nézet-Séguin, Langrée, Chung and, of course, his old friend, Daniel Harding.

It will be an indescribable pleasure to listen to this amazingly diverse display, to plunge into the wide-ranging worlds of a violinist whose choices highlight his eclecticism and passion, a violinist who long ago took technique to a new level of fluidity, into another dimension, and who happens to have the ability to blend major works in with a few lighter pieces.

Renaud Capuçon demonstrates to brilliant effect that "the violin is king". With this box set, he brings us a gift fit for a prince.

Contents:
CD 1 Concertos [77.00]
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
1. Violin Concerto in E minor Op.64 : I. Allegro molto appassionato
Mahler Chamber Orchestra • Daniel Harding

ERICH KORNGOLD
2. Violin Concerto in D major Op.35 : II. Romance : Andante
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra • Yannick Nézet-Séguin

JOHANNES BRAHMS
3. Violin Concerto in D major Op.77 : III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra • Daniel Harding

ROBERT SCHUMANN
4. Violin Concerto in D minor (1853 – Ed. Schünemann) : II. Langsam
Mahler Chamber Orchestra • Daniel Harding

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN 1770-1827
5. Violin Concerto in D major Op.61 : III. Rondo: Allegro
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra • Yannick Nézet-Séguin

6. Triple Concerto for piano, violin and cello in C major Op.56 : II. Largo
Martha Argerich (piano) • Mischa Maisky (cello)
Orchestra della Svizzera italiana • Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky

JOHANNES BRAHMS
7. Double concerto for violin and cello in A minor Op.102 : III. Vivace non troppo
Gautier Capuçon (cello)
Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester • Myung-Whun Chung

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART 1756-1791
8. Sinfonia concertante for violin, viola and orchestra in E flat major K.364 : II. Andante
9. Violin Concerto No.1 in B flat major K.207 (cadenza : Robert Levin) : III. Presto
Antoine Tamestit (viola)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra • Louis Langrée

CD 2 Chamber Music [79.30]
JOHANNES BRAHMS
1. Piano quartet No.1 in G minor Op.25 : IV. Rondo alla Zingarese. Presto
Nicholas Angelich (piano) • Gérard Caussé (viola) • Gautier Capuçon (cello)

2. Sonata for violin and piano No.2 in A major Op.100 : III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi andante)
Nicholas Angelich (piano)

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
3. Ghost piano trio in D major Op.70 No.1: II. Largo assai ed espressivo
Martha Argerich (piano) • Mischa Maisky (cello)

4. Sonata No.5 for violin and piano (Spring) in F major Op.24: I. Allegro
Frank Braley (piano)

5. Sonata No.8 for violin and piano in G major Op.30 No.3 : III. Allegro vivace
Martha Argerich (piano)

ROBERT SCHUMANN
6. Sonata No.1 for violin and piano in A minor Op.105 : I. Mit leidenschaftlichem Ausdruck
Martha Argerich (piano)

7. Sonata No.2 for violin and piano in D minor Op.121 : II. Sehr lebhaft
Martha Argerich (piano)

FRANZ SCHUBERT
8. Trout piano quintet in A major D.667: IV. Tema con variazioni
Gérard Caussé (viola) • Gautier Capuçon (cello) • Alois Posch (double bass) • Frank Braley (piano)

GABRIEL FAURÉ
9. Sonata No.1 for violin and piano in A major Op.13 : IV. Allegro quasi presto
Michel Dalberto (piano)

MAURICE RAVEL
10. Sonata for violin and piano : III. Perpetuum mobile
Frank Braley (piano)

FELIX MENDELSSOHN
11. Piano trio No.1 in D minor Op.49 : III. Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
Martha Argerich (piano) • Gautier Capuçon (cello)

FRANZ SCHUBERT
12. Piano trio No.2 in E flat major D.929 : II. Andante con moto
Gautier Capuçon (cello) • Frank Braley (piano)

CD 3 Encores [79.35]
JULES MASSENET
1. Meditation from Thaïs
Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen • Daniel Harding

CLAUDE DEBUSSY
2. Clair de lune (Suite Bergamasque)
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

JOHANN HALVORSEN
3. Passacaglia after Handel (Suite No.7 in G minor)
Gautier Capuçon (cello)

CHRISTOPH VON GLUCK (arr. Fritz Kreisler)
4. Dance of the blessed spirits (Orfeo ed Euridice)
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

ANTONIN DVORAK (transc. Jascha Heifetz)
5. Humoresque in B flat major Op.101 No.7
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

MAURICE RAVEL
6. Tzigane, concert rhapsody for violin and orchestra
Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen • Daniel Harding

FRITZ KREISLER
7. Liebesleid
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

8. Miniature Viennese march: Tempo di marcia
Gautier Capuçon (cello) • Aude Capuçon (piano)

GRIGORAS DINICU (arr. Jascha Heifetz)
9. Hora staccato
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS 1835-1921
10. Introduction and rondo capriccioso in A minor Op.28
Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen • Daniel Harding

ERICH KORNGOLD
11. Marietta's Lied zur Laute (Die tote Stadt)
Jérôme Ducros (piano)
[Previously unreleased recording]

JOSEF SUK 1874-1935
12. Un poco triste Op.17 No.3
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

GABRIEL FAURÉ
13. Berceuse Op.16
Michel Dalberto (piano)

ERICH KORNGOLD
14. Much ado about nothing Op.11 : Gartenszene
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY 1840-1893
15. Sentimental Waltz in F minor Op.51 No.6
Jérôme Ducros (piano)

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
16. Danse macabre, symphonic poem Op.40
Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen • Daniel Harding

17. Carnival of the Animals, a zoological fantasy for 2 pianos, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, harmonica & xylophone : No.14 Final (Molto allegro)
Esther Hoppe (2nd violin) • Béatrice Muthelet (viola) • Gautier Capuçon (cello) • Frank Braley (piano) • Michel Dalberto (piano) • Emmanuel Pahud (flute) • Paul Meyer (clarinet) • Janne Saksala (double bass) • Florent Jodelet (percussion)