Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8
The Paganini concerto, with its combination of wild virtuosity and fatty, gushy melody, is a favorite of audiences and violinists; fiddlers love to strut their stuff and the public can't resist anything so juicy. Hilary Hahn here throws her violinist hat into the ring with Perlman, Kogan, and Gil Shaham and comes out looking just fine. She handles the incredibly showy outer movements with flair, poise, and startling precision, and spins out the long, Italian melodies in the middle movement beautifully. Similarly, she handles the Spohr almost as if it were composed for the voice--it's an enchanting performance. Simply stunning and highly recommended.--Robert Levine