Ortho Implant Chang

Sarah Chang is certainly an exceptional player; her finely produced tone is characteristically sweet, yet she varies it most imaginatively — in the Concerto's slow movement, for instance, where she follows the changing shades of emotion in the most detailed way. The first movement may have been recorded with more strongly expressed feeling (by Boris Belkin), its finale with more mercurial displays of virtuosity (Xue-Wei), but overall Chang is the equal of any, with relaxed technical command and real feeling for the music. The accompaniment is well balanced and cleanly recorded, with distinguished solo contributions from woodwind and horns.

Sarah Chang's new CD of two of the most flavorful Violin Concerti to come out of 20th-century Russia is a winner. The first movement of the Shostakovich finds Chang playing, at first, with no vibrato, and the effect is haunting and as properly spooky as the composer wanted. Her many levels of both dynamics and vibrato are very much on display throughout, and in the Scherzo, she builds to a wonderfully maniacal climax.

This fascinating recital features three works composed during a short period of tremendous upheaval in the world of music. Szymanowski's Mythes: Trois Poemes, op. 30 was composed in 1915, Dohnanyi's Sonata, op. 21 in 1912, and Bartok's Sonata No. 1 in 1920-21. Violinist Elizabeth Chang writes that "the crosscurrents of multiculturalism and the pursuit of a national identity separate from the prevailing Germanic legacy, are topics with searing relevance to the early 21st century. Probing the connections among the densely intertwined web of musicians of this time yields insight into an inflection point in musical history that unleashed the wildly divergent paths that music composition took as the twentieth century unfolded." This recording presents beautifully detailed performances of three important pieces, performed by two leading virtuosi.

Total of 42 tracks, approximately 3 hours and 42 minutes. Sarah Chang is known as one of the most fascinating and talented performers of her generation, with astonishing musical insight, technical virtuosity, and emotional range. She recorded exclusively for EMI Classics from the beginning of her career, from 1992 to 2009. This is a collection of her best performances. Vivaldi: Winter, Autumn, Spring, Summer, Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 12 No. 1, Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy, Massenet: Meditation from Thais, Dvorak: Piano Quintet, Franck: Violin Sonata, Ravel: Violin Sonata No. 2 - 2nd & 3rd Movements, Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 - 3rd Movements, etc.