Daniel Muller-Schott, Arabella Steinbacher & Sakari Oramo - Aram Khatchaturian: Konzerte fur Violine und Violoncello (2004)

If you're going to record the fiendishly difficult and vibrant violin and cello concertos of Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, magnificently clean, virtuosic, and sensitive performances are absolutely essential for soloists and orchestra alike. Fortunately, that is precisely what is achieved on this recording featuring violinist Arabella Steinbacher, cellist Daniel Muller-Schott, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Muller-Schott's performance of the cello concerto, first on the CD, is beyond exciting. His technique is sparkling and gives listeners the impression that even the most difficult passages are completely effortless. Always infused with the folk-like panache so necessary for Khachaturian's works, technical passages are always exciting and never sterile. The second movement is sultry and filled with tension. Offering a similarly virtuosic performance, Steinbacher's violin playing is throaty and guttural, another ideal match for Khachaturian. Filled with passionate risk-taking, the folksy, almost militaristic third movement is a tour de force for soloist and orchestra alike, while the passionate second movement showcases violin playing that is nothing short of sexy. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's tight and sensitive accompaniment only enhances the virtuosity of these two soloists. -- Mike D. Brownell