Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1, Violin Concerto No. 1

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Allan Kozinn wrote in the New York Times: "Esa-Pekka Salonen’s guest-conducting visit to the New York Philharmonic, planned for this week, promised to be a highlight of the New York music season, not only because Mr. Salonen is heard too infrequently here but also because he had assembled a killer program. The first half was to have opened with Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and Christian Tetzlaff was to have been the soloist in Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 1. … Last week Mr. Salonen withdrew because of back problems, and the Philharmonic quickly found a replacement in David Zinman. … And the Szymanowski gave way to Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 (with Mr. Tetzlaff still on hand). The Shostakovich, if more commonplace than the Szymanowski, was a worthy replacement, and Mr. Tetzlaff is generally worth hearing, no matter what he has on his stand. And if listeners used to hearing the Shostakovich in classic recordings by Oistrakh and other Russian players find Mr. Tetzlaff’s sound light for this work, there is much to be learned from the perspective he offers" (5/16/09).