St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; Ruggiero Ricci; Rudolf Firkusny; Walter Susskind - Antonin Dvorak: Violin Concerto; Piano Concerto

The great 19th-century violinist Joseph Joachim provides a connection between Dvorak's Violin Concerto and that by his friend Brahms, having given invaluable advice to both composers regarding the works. Dvorak's Czech spirit is given extra weight through Brahms' influence, with Classical stature meeting eloquent Slavonic vitality to create a splendid masterpiece, performed here by Ruggiero Ricci in this acclaimed recording. The Piano Concerto is characteristic of the younger Dvorak. It was long championed by soloist Rudolf Firkusny, whose reputation for placing cultured musicianship beforeextrovert virtuosity suited the work perfectly. This classicVOXrecording remains one of the finest versions of the Piano Concerto available, played by the work's greatest advocate. The Elite Recordings forVOXby legendary producers MarcAubort and Joanna Nickrenz are considered by audiophiles to be amongst the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings.