For the Record, Op. 359: Chris Thile; Leila Josefowicz; Pacifica Quartet; Albert Sammons

November 13, 2025, 3:28 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! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.

Mandolinist Chris Thile. Photo by Josh Goleman.

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2
Chris Thile, mandolin

Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile has done it again - he has taken J.S. Bach's Solo Sonatas and Partitas for Violin and reimagined them for mandolin, shedding new light and perspective on them that violinists are likely to appreciate. It's not the first time - more than 10 years ago, Thile released his Volume 1 of these works - in which he performed Sonatas No. 1 and 2; and Partita No. 1 on mandolin. Earlier this month he released Volume 2, which completes the cycle with Partitas No. 2 and 3, and Sonata No. 3. In the liner notes, Thile writes that for Volume 1, "I spent most of its development and execution worrying about whether Bach would like it." He writes that the reason Volume 2 exists is that he loves practicing Bach. "Communing with something THAT beautiful, made by a human being, continuing to be made and enjoyed by so many human beings, makes you proud to be human. And so you practice it. As often as you can, everywhere you go. Your living room. Hotel room. Onstage before the rest of the band shows up for soundcheck. In an empty corner of an airport after a cancelled flight ...Would he like it? Though I was tempted to capitalize ‘he’ just now, I’m trying not to care. Do I like it? Yes." Read our 2013 interview with Chris Thile about Bach here. BELOW: Chris Thile - Bach: Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006: III. Gavotte en rondeau (live).

Adès: The Exterminating Angel Symphony & Violin Concerto
Leila Josefowicz, violin
Minnesota Orchestra, Thomas Søndergård conducting

"With orchestral textures both radiant and unsettling, Adès evokes a surreal musical landscape, brought vividly to life by Søndergård’s incisive direction and violinist Leila Josefowicz’s electrifying performance." Read our new interview with Leila Josefowicz here. BELOW: Thomas Adès' Violin Concerto: I. Rings

The Korngold Collection
Pacifica Quartet
Eric Kim, cello
Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, violin
Orion Weiss, piano

The Pacifica Quartet presents a recording of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s complete string quartets, as well as and other rarely heard chamber works in a program that traces the composer’s remarkable evolution from a prodigy of post-imperial Vienna to a pioneering film composer in Hollywood. “We believe that this music should be played, and we want younger musicians to be out there playing it," said Pacifica Quartet cellist Brandon Vamos. "It is so special, communicative, expressive, with incredible harmonies and melodies, and such a unique voice that only Korngold has. A child prodigy, proclaimed a genius by Mahler at the age of 10, it's amazing to see how well the music is written." The album features Korngold’s String Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 16; String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 26; String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 34; Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15 with pianist Orion Weiss; and String Sextet in D Major, Op. 10, with violist Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt and cellist Eric Kim. BELOW: Trailer for the album.

Ernest John Moeran: Symphony in G minor; Violin Concerto
Albert Sammons, violin
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult, conducting

The troubled life of English composer Ernest John Moeran (1894 – 1950) ended 75 years ago, when he fell into the water at Kenmare in Ireland, and his death was officially recorded as a cerebral hemorrhage. To honour the life of E. J. Moeran, SOMM Recordings is releasing broadcasts that were privately recorded by Lionel Hill, author of the book Lonely Waters – the Diary of a Friendship with E. J. Moeran. This commemorative release, with audio restoration by Lani Spahr, includes Moeran’s Symphony in G minor conducted by Sir Adrian Boult and his Violin Concerto with the Albert Sammons (1886-1957) as soloist. This recording, a BBC Home Service broadcast from Norfolk on April 28, 1946, is Sammons’ last public concerto performance - possibly his only known live recording. BELOW: the 1946 performance of E. J. Moeran: Violin Concerto.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our "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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For the Record, Op. 359: Chris Thile; Leila Josefowicz; Pacifica Quartet; Albert Sammons

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