For the Record, Op. 100: Solomiya Ivakhiv's 'other' Mendelssohn Concerto; Complete Beethoven in 90 discs

November 7, 2019, 1:01 PM · Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!

Violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv.

Mendelssohn Concertos
Solomiya Ivakhiv, violin
Antonio Pompa-Baldi, piano
Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, Theodore Kuchar conducting

"Many people are familiar with Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, but hardly anyone gets to hear this earlier concerto in D minor," said violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv. "Though it was written when Mendelssohn was just a teenager, it is clearly the work of a mature composer." Ivakhiv presents this recording of the D minor Violin Concerto (1822), written when Mendelssohn was just 13 years old, and the Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings, written less than a year later. The Violin Concerto was dedicated to Eduard Rietz, Mendelssohn's teacher, who was still a teenager himself and also leader of the Berlin Court Orchestra. Ukrainian violinist Ivakhiv is based in the U.S., where she is also Head of Strings at the University of Connecticut. Pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi is a member of the piano faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music. BELOW: Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra in D Minor, I. Allegro:

Beethoven: Complete Edition
A 90-disc boxed set from Naxos

All the works of Beethoven - in one box. Whoa. Naxos marks the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth with this edition. Here are the stats: there are more than 1,550 individual tracks, a 136-page booklet, and two free downloads. It includes Beethoven’s orchestral, concerto, keyboard, chamber, stage, choral and vocal works, as well as rarities, including recently reconstructed fragments and sketches, drafts, arrangements, transcriptions and reconstructions – some of which have never before been recorded. Dutch composer Willem Holsbergen and producer Mark S. Zimmer, both of The Unheard Beethoven project, were the key consultants on this boxed set. BELOW: a trailer for this project.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.

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