Classical Pick of the Week: Fiddle Me This

The musician often aims to imitate the accents and nuances of the human voice, and the instrument that has best reflected that voice for the last 500 years has been the violin (although some would argue for the cello, which is not so "nasal-y"). The Bach violin sonatas and partitas have often been considered benchmark works for the violin player, and the Chaconne is probably the most popular movement out of all six. Here is a recording of Nathan Milstein performing the Chaconne from the second Partita. Other artists you might enjoy include Henryk Szeryng and Jascha Heifetz (although he is considered one of the best ever, his recording of the Chaconne is quite polarizing among violinists).

This week's classical pick of the week is a selection of performances that highlight the violin (as if it doesn't get enough love already). Stephane Deneve conducts the LA Phil today with Gil Shaham as the soloist. He will be performing the Khachaturian Violin Concerto at 2 PM. The Disney Hall will also host Christian Tetzlaff and Leif Ove Andsnes (frequent LA Phil collaborator) in a series of violin sonatas by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, and Janacek. Leonard Slatkin (a former LA Phil guest conductor, current conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra) will then conduct Hillary Hahn in three performances of the Glazunov Violin Concerto. The Pasadena Chamber Orchestra will be performing the 3rd Saint-Saens Violin Concerto as well.