Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto In D, Op. 35 / Sibelius: Violin Concerto In D minor, Op. 47

For some reason, record companies like to put these two concertos together, particularly for debut albums. Of course, Viktoria Mullova is an established artist, but this was the record that got her career going, and it's still one of the best around for these two concertos. They are very different pieces: the Tchaikovsky warmly heart-on-sleeve, the Sibelius more brooding and melancholy, even in its flashier moments. Mullova is a very serious, even severe artist, who's not into musical fun and games. You would think that this makes her a natural for Sibelius--and so it proves. But she also imbues the Tchaikovsky with a certain intensity of purpose and musical logic that makes her performance stand out from the crowd, and that's what great playing is all about. --David Hurwitz