Orchestre Symphonique Bienne, Thomas Rosner - Williams: 3 Pieces From Schindler's List / Bloch: Suite Hébraïque, Concerto Grosso No. 1 (2009)

Young Canadian-born violinist Alexandre da Costa (only 30 at the time of this recording) appears on this ATMA album entitled Schindler's List. John Williams' Suite from this widely viewed Spielberg movie is the first piece on the program. With so many people already familiar with the brilliant, impassioned performance given in the original soundtrack by Itzhak Perlman, subsequent recordings certainly have an uphill battle. That's not to say it shouldn't be attempted or that producing a tantamount or superior performance is impossible; it's just difficult. Da Costa puts forth a valiant effort, but still falls short of Perlman's mark. For one, da Costa's sound is simply not that powerful. Even against the lightly scored orchestral accompaniment, his sound is lost. Intonation is generally good, but there are enough rough spots to make discerning listeners take notice. Second on the program is Ernest Bloch's Suite Hébraïque for violin and orchestra. The issues that existed in the previous work remain here; da Costa's sound is simply absent too frequently given the relatively light orchestra scoring and the cautious dynamics provided by the Orchestre Symphonique Bienne under Thomas Rösner. The album closes with Bloch's Concerto Grosso No. 1, one of his more popular compositions that is not from his so-called "Jewish Cycle." Here, the orchestra is finally able to play with full volume without having to cover a soloist.