This recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on the Berlin Classic's Basics label is, at best, inconsistent. The
Staatskapelle Dresden is actually the highlight of the album, even in the violin concerto. Its sound is warm and unassuming, never drowning out the soloist. The Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture is performed energetically, with great sweeps of crescendo and diminuendo, subtle but effective rubato, and well-articulated string playing. The same praise cannot be consistently applied to soloist Christian Funke in his performance of the violin concerto. There are moments when his sound is actually quite pleasing, intonation solid, and pacing smooth and regular. However, there are also moments when the piece seems to get a little too big for him and his better attributes decline. Sound quality is usually the first thing to go as Funke's right arm becomes quite vertical the faster and more difficult a passage becomes. The third movement, for example, starts out with a very exhilarating pace that Funke executes well. But by the time he reaches the octaves about two minutes in, what was a lovely brush stroke turns peckish. Intonation also suffers occasionally, particularly in the upper registers of the instrument. While the orchestral accompaniment is quite good, one rarely buys a concerto recording for the orchestra alone. Look elsewhere for a stronger, more consistent solo performance.