The coupling is certainly a hodgepodge, and the Vivaldi, Weber, and Wieniawski pieces may be fluff, if well performed fluff. No, the value of this disc rests in the Haydn and Bloch, both of which are stunning. Trumpeter Thomas Stevens not only plays Haydn’s concerto with exactly the right balance of virtuosity and taste, the recording balances him perfectly, allowing all sorts of marvelous wind detail to decorate his solo lines. Anyone who thinks that Zubin Mehta can’t conduct music of the classical period should hear this. Schelomo is even better, quite possibly the best performance available. Janos Starker gives a performance of positively smoldering intensity, darkly brooding and intense, while Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic throw caution to the wind and go crazy in the passionate orchestral interludes. Even Leonard Bernstein sounds tame after listening to these folks put the music through its paces! I suppose this disc proves that great things sometimes come in strange packages.
