For the Record, Op. 333: Lea Birringer; Lisa Batiashvili; Emma Jane Lloyd

May 16, 2025, 11:10 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.

Violinist Leah Birringer. Photo by FANDEL Foto & Design.

Sibelius - Järnefelt - Szymanowski
Lea Birringer, violin
Staatorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Benjamin Shwartz conducting

German violinist Lea Birringer, winner of the Johannes Brahms International Violin Competition and a Rodolfo Lipizer Prize, presents an album featuring Jean Sibelius's violin concerto, a work that signalled farewell to the composer’s dream of becoming a virtuoso violinist. Sibelius' brother-in-law, Armas Järnefelt’s (1869–1958) "Berceuse" was inspired by the sight of his two-year-old daughter sleeping. It was written in 1904, around the time when Sibelius’s Violin Concerto was originally completed. Karol Szymanowski called his second violin concerto ‘horribly sentimental’, emblematic of the lush romantic style of the time. BELOW: Trailer for the album.

Future Horizons: Pieces for Oboe and Violin
Lisa Batiashvili, violin
François Leleux, oboe
Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducting

French oboist François Leleux pairs up with violinist Lisa Batiashvili to present world premiere recordings of new works for oboe and violin – all written especially for these artists – by renowned composers Nicolas Bacri, Michael Jarrell, and Thierry Escaich. The album’s title, Future Horizons, reflects Leleux’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of classical music through contemporary works. BELOW: Double Concerto for Oboe, Violin and Orchestra: III. Allegro, by Thierry Escaich.

Mue
Emma Jane Lloyd, violin
Violinist, composer and improviser Emma Jane Lloyd presents an album centered around "mue" - the French term for changing, shifting and shedding a skin - also the title from the album’s twelfth track, written by Émilie Girard-Charest. The album also includes works by Matthew Whiteside, Rylan Gleave and Egidija Medekšaite, as well as Emma Jane Lloyd herself. BELOW: Freely, Darkly, Deeply: I. by Matthew Whiteside.

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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Replies

Paul Deck

May 17, 2025 at 12:59 PM · 1904 preceded the era of high fidelity recordings by a mile. Even Thibaud, who would have been at his best then, is rarely heard today. Sibelius did well trading his violin and bow for pen and paper. His piano rep is great too.