Violinist
Francesca Dego
has been known mostly for virtuoso repertory and for smaller lyrical works, but here, entering mid-career, she takes on a pair of hefty Romantic concertos, ably supported by the
BBC Symphony Orchestra
and its principal guest conductor,
Dalia Stasevska
. There is a great deal to recommend the album, which landed on classical best-seller charts in early 2024. The
Brahms
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
, and
Busoni
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35a
, may seem an odd pair, with the
intricately classical and never particularly idiomatic to the violin, while the
is splashy and colorful, Italianate in the best way.
's concerto is an early work, not terribly often recorded, and
Dego
's outing here is worth the price of admission on its own. Both slow movements are gorgeous, with
's nearly unparalleled ability to produce a long, soaring line on full display. The outer movements of the
may be a matter of taste, for this is not the usual heroic
;
seems to be trying to bring it closer to
with a lighter tone and folkish elements in her playing. It may work, and it may not, but it is worth hearing for oneself, and the album provides further testimony that this highly charismatic violinist is becoming a major figure. ~ James Manheim