Baiba Skride, Andris Nelson - Souvenir Russe (2008)

Appearing this time with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, Latvian violinist Baiba Skride returns for yet another installment of her recording contract with Sony Classical. Sony's penchant for using the physical attributes of its young, attractive soloists remains unchanged; the cover and liner notes are filled with one glamour-shot after another, which of course has nothing to do with the musical content of the album at all. Even the conductor, Andris Nelsons, is another "up-and-coming" artist who had not even achieved 30 years of age at the time of this recording. As in her previous releases, Skride again proves herself to be an accomplished technical master of her instrument and even to be rather musically informed. The problem with this album in particular is that it doesn't really provide listeners with anything they haven't heard before. In fact, the program is almost identical to Joshua Bell's 2005 release (also on Sony). But while Bell challenged his listeners by pushing tempos one way or another, adding a little fire here and a little sentimentality there, Skride's interpretation is rather safe and predictable. Her sound, unlike Bell's, is also quite bright, a seeming mismatch for the dark, brooding character of the concerto's second movement or the Op. 42 Meditation. Although it's difficult to tell for certain, Skride's sound also seems to lack in any true power; while this is not a major issue in the recording studio, one wonders if she would truly be heard over a live symphony orchestra without benefit of recording technology.