Simon Foster:

>The Alexeev is superb .. hopefully it's available in Korea.

I agree, Alexeev is very good, unfortunatly the ECO strings leaves You
wanting, they are perhaps to "English" to really submerge in trhe witt
and sarcasm needed for DDS music (I have the same concerns with the 14'th
symphony conducted by Britten, now out on BBC Legends)

As I've stated in private corespondance with Hi-Do, the truly essential
for this repertoire is to have any of the composers recordings (on EMI and
Russian Revelation, the latter is defunkt, but there are remainding stock
in circulation) - On might also have a look at Mikhail Rudy with Mariss
Janssons (also on EMI, two sep.  discs coupl.  with symphonies) or Leif-Ove
Andsnes for the first concerto (also EMI, with Britten the concertoI think,
I do not have my references ready) - At last I have listened to the new
Bronfman, twice since yeaterday, and I like his playing, but Salonen is
a sloppy conductor and the Los Angeles orchestra do not make the cut, no
recomendation alas.

>The work was written by Shostakovich for his son Maxim to play, hence the
>tenderness of the slow movement.  The recording you heard is on Chandos
>CHAN 8443.

Indeed it was, I belive that there were even a recording of Maxim playing
(might have been a bootleg), the Chandos pair of discs is not recomendable
that are less than a completist Shostakovite.

peter lundin, gothenburg.se -  Counting the days: DSCH 100 (1906-2006)