Having emerged into the top echelon of violinists, James Ehnes is now recording the most basic standard repertoire, always with distinction, though not necessarily trumping the best among the acres of past recordings. Tchaikovsky, for example: His reading of the concerto is full of his trademark radiance of tone and lyrical gentility.
But even though there are times when you'd be happy to hear this violinist play anything, the short pieces that fill out the disc are extremely minor Tchaikovsky, and at most would satisfy listeners with a comprehensive curiosity about the composer.
The Bartok disc isn't simply a tour de force because Ehnes plays viola in the "Viola Concerto" to complete the triptych of Bartok's three string-instrument concertos. Each has its own personality, though Ehnes also accentuates how the composer's three eras of creativity relate to one another.
