Brahms composed the Double Concerto for violin, cello and orchestra late in his career, pairing the two instruments in a work that stands apart from his other orchestral scores. Written in 1887 for Joseph Joachim and Robert Hausmann, it blends symphonic breadth with an unusually conversational form, the two soloists engaging more as chamber partners than as virtuosi set against the orchestra. Across its three movements it moves from a turbulent, densely argued opening through a lyrical Andante to a driven finale that brings a more athletic, energetic character.
Here are The Classic Review editorial team’s recommendations for the best recordings of Brahms’s Double Concerto.
Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Szell
Perlman, Ma, Barenboim
Shaham, Wang, Abbado
Francescatti, Fournier, Walter
Tetzlaff, Tetzlaff, Järvi
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