Brahms: Violin Concerto; Double Concerto

This pairing of Johannes Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77, and the Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra in A minor ("Double"), Op. 102, has been reissued multiple times, so it has been available in several boxed sets as well as a single budget album. Buyers may rest assured that the performances are dependable and perfectly enjoyable, even if they may not rank among the legendary renditions on disc. Violinist Borika van den Booren turns in a sweetly expressive and technically proficient reading of the Violin Concerto that is firmly supported by the Berlin Symphony, under Eduardo Marturet, while violinist Emmy Verhey and cellist Janos Starker offer a compelling version of the Double Concerto with sterling accompaniment by Arpad Jóo and the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Anyone who needs a solid recording of either work for study purposes or to fill a gap in a collection would be well advised to give this CD a try, and it's recommended for beginners because every detail is audible, and the scores are presented in a straightforward manner that requires no explanation. Digitally recorded and engineered to give the soloists a heightened feeling of presence, both performances are certainly respectable and deserve their continued place in the catalog, even if the performers are not necessarily household names.