James Ehnes/Orchestre philharmonique de Bergen, dir.: Edward Gardner – Sibelius : Violin Concerto, Serenades, Humoresques

You won’t learn anything new about the Sibelius Concerto by listening to this new version by the brilliant Canadian James Ehnes. But you will be assured of a flawless performance at the highest historical level of musical excellence. What can I say? It’s aesthetically perfect, both muscular and delicate, as passionate as it should be while remaining refined and subtly textured. Intelligence, emotion, technical perfection, it’s all there. And I’m not just talking about the Canadian. The Norwegians from Bergen, conducted by the prolific English conductor Edward Gardner, are ideally balanced in tone and sound. Other violin pieces round off the album nicely. The relatively well-known Humoresques, but also a few lesser-played gems like the pastoral Suite op. 117, made up of simple, highly seductive melodies. Very much recommended.