Sony has brought together Shostakovitch's greatest concertos in first recordings made soon after their American premieres by the artists most closely identified with them. Neither performance has been bettered, though some, such as Vengerov's Teldec Violin Concerto, come close. The Violin Concerto is in solid, detailed mono; the Cello Concerto in fine stereo. Oistrakh goes to the heart of the violin work, playing with extraordinary tonal magnificence and emotional power. He's matched by Mitropoulos, whose identification with the score is apparent. Rostropovitch is as good in the Cello Concerto, getting excellent support from Ormandy's Philadelphians. Both performances share the white heat of fresh discovery and have stood the test of time to become classic recordings. --Dan Davis
Eugene Ormandy was Shostakovich's great interpreter (along with Bernstein) in the West, and he was entrusted with many U.S. premiers of the great Russian composer's symphonies and concertos. This recording of the First Cello Concerto was made while both the composer and his cellist friend were on tour in the United States, so it has the imprimatur of Shostakovich himself. The Violin Concerto similarly was recorded just days after its U.S. premiere in New York with the Oistrakh, for whom it was written. This is as distinguished a pair of performances as you're likely to hear, and although the Violin Concerto is mono, the sound never gets in the way of your enjoyment. An event. --David Hurwitz
