The Octet has rarely sounded more symphonic as Ehnes and his Seattle friends demonstrate all the energy and wit of chamber playing at its most dazzling. Ehnes gives an elegant, refined account of the Violin Concerto that highlights its unconventional structure, but it's not without emotion. Including the exhilarating Octet makes it unmissable.

The first thing that hits you about Ehnes's reading is the rhythmic propulsion of the concerto's outer movements, which lifts the music, revealing its glorious bone-structure...the sense is of a joyous, exhilarating ride rather than anything overly driven...Another aspect which is particularly winning is the creaminess of Ehnes's lower register...this is absolutely up there with the best of them.

His tone...is sweet in all registers and the intonation true

Ehnes nevertheless manages to rejuvenate the work and illuminate it in new ways; but to be honest, I've chosen this disc at least as much for the Octet as for the Concerto. The Seattle Chamber Music Octet produce a gloriously rich sound that gripped me from the opening bars!

Brisk tempi mark out James Ehnes's reading of Mendelssohn's perennial concerto; there is nothing cloying or sentimental, even in the luscious slow movement where lesser violinists are tempted to wallow. Instead, he gives a beautifully sincere, unaffected performance

Ehnes’s gorgeous, supple tone is combined with that instinct for a composer’s distinctive character that makes his interpretations so compelling. Ashkenazy conducts with delicacy and strength...Ehnes’s innate sensibility draws him into the music’s milieu for a performance that is outstanding and unreservedly recommended.