Beginning with the historic version that the 15-year-old Yehudi Menuhin made with the composer himself conducting in 1931, the truly outstanding recordings of Elgar’s Violin Concerto can still be counted on the fingers of one hand. It’s a measure of the startling quality of this performance by the Norwegian Vilde Frang with Robin Ticciati and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin that it unquestionably deserves a place among that elite.
The tone for Frang’s performance is set at the very start of the concerto, before she has played a note. Ticciati propels the opening orchestral tutti with real urgency, immediately dispelling any idea that would emphasise the score’s dreamier aspects; when she enters, Frang’s muscularity confirms that approach.
