Filarmonica della Scala / Ray Chen / Riccardo Chailly

Not even two bars in – and the music takes off. Without a long orchestral prelude, without any advance warning, the soloist plunges into the virtuoso frenzy of Mendelssohn’s E minor Violin Concerto. This is a breathtaking and thrilling work, but it’s also music to revel in. And who, if not Ray Chen, could master the challenge with such ease? He convinces with his absolute virtuosity, with impressive dexterity and a good dose of charm that melts the distance between the audience and the stage. And after the interval at the latest, when the Filarmonica della Scala under Riccardo Chailly start playing Mahler’s First Symphony, they fulfil all our yearning for the full orchestral sound of the Late Romantic.