Brahms: Double Concerto,Op.102 / Schumann: Cello Concerto,Op.129
It's always a pleasant surprise when a budget label offers us performances as good as  these. Ilya Kaler and Maria Kliegel blend in one of the best performances of the Brahms Concerto  I've ever heard. They are both "big" enough for the music, which they play on a grand  scale. But they also blend well and selflessly into an integrated performance with the strong  orchestra and conductor. Brahms, that lover of chamber music, would have been delighted.  Kliegel's Schumann Concerto is very romantic, with a lot of phrase bending, but she keeps within  the bounds of good taste and again the orchestra provides strong collaboration.--Leslie  Gerber