Firework display

Nigel Kennedy is not everyone's cup of tea but his interpretation of Mendelssohn's violin concerto must answer most critics. He plays the second movement with great sensitivity and never risks being over sentimental. The final movement is an electric firework display of virtuosity, although at times the tempo is perhaps a bit too electric to shape the piece. Overall, though, a superb performance of a magnificent concerto.

Reach for the sky

The sense of achievement is palpable as the summit is reached in Strauss's Alpine Symphony. Mood music at its finest, beautifully interpreted by Staatskapelle Weimer under the baton of Antoni Wit (Naxos 8.557811). Scored for a large orchestra it is one of the Simon Boliver Orchestra's standard repertoire pieces.