The Golden Age —Ray Chen, violin; London Philharmonic/Robert Trevino; Made in Berlin; Julian Quentin, piano (Decca 4833852)
Here’s a showcase of works from the “golden age” of the violin, with arrangements by Kreisler and Heifetz around a centerpiece of the great Violin Concerto No. 1 of Max Bruch. Included are three tracks with Chen’s string quartet ‘Made in Berlin’ – a new chamber music collective of Berlin Philharmonic players, one of whom is violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, known to fans of ChamberFest Cleveland. Arranger Stephan Koncz contributes quartet versions of Debussy’s Clair de lune, the Australian bush ballad Waltzing Matilda, plus A New ‘Satiesfaction’ based on Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No.1. The Golden Age is Ray Chen's first recording on Decca Classics since signing to the label last year.