Yuku free message boards

Ohhhh noooooooooo !!! How this idea arise ? Of course I voted the viola concerto, not only for it's my second instrument, but also because is not an act of justice to compare the four great concertos among themselves. May between different versions of the same concerts, but not different instruments, so each instrument is a different world and each one has it's own richness and language.
Sorry, John, but I deeply desagree with that. It's like my mother made me compare among the four favourite meals she prepares to me. I adore the four concertos, and having to decide one of them is a painful choice....

My introduction to Rózsa's music were both Ben-Hur soundtrack and violin concerto. First time I listened to it, was on catalan radio, the version by Heifetz. Then, I listened to it in Palau de la Música Catalana, in Barcelona, by the OBC (Orquestra simfónica de Barcelona i nacional de Catalunya), in 1998, and the soloist was the concertino Angel Jesús Garcia (by the way, a disastrous play). And I have moreover the version of Igor Gruppmann, for Koch and Telarc Version, which is the one I like more after Heifetz's one.
The piano version I only listened is from Koch, so I've no items to compare.
For the cello concert, I have Peter Rejckto version in the album wich Rózsa shares the Cd with Shurman's "Gardens of exile". It's quite the best version I heard to, over Richard's Block Koch's version and even Telarc Version (too much weak playing for my taste).
And finally, among all versions of viola concerto I heard, I prefer Paul Silverthorne's version. I was at Liverpool Philarmonic Hall, listening to Lawrence Power playing of the concert. Over the peculiar, but clean and clear colour of the RLPO's sound, all conducted by Paul Daniel, Power seemed to be racing more than playing. His work was fine and superb, but in some moments too much stressing and over-tensioned because it seemed in quick movements that he was pursuing the tempo instead of let himself be carried with it (according to the dark, introspective and charmy colour of the viola role in the work). Despite this, the heavy efforts of conductor Paul Daniel to follow both Soloist, tempo and orchestra, and a bit unclearness viola sound over the whole orchestra ),Power's playing was on high and brilliant virtuous professional job. 8 points over 10.