Boolez, as I’ve said before, is a bigot who has negative reviews of what seems like every Asian musician on iTunes. He’s a racist hack. In the case of this particular recording, I would suggest that if it be a ‘student recording, at best’, Boolez himself must be nothing short of a professor of violin at the Curtis Institute. Otherwise, how would he have heard so many such students ? There’s much that is young and fresh about Chen’s Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn concerti, and not because Chen has ‘questionable technique’. His recordings in the past few years have proven that he didn't win the Queen Elizabeth for nothing; he brings a certain captivating joy to everything he plays, and this recording is no exception. Buy it and support a fine musician.

This can be described as a student recording. Qustionable technique, lethargic tempi, and an unconvincing view of the works plague this recording. These are two well known war horses of the violin cannon. I was expecting better...especially on the Sony label. No need to run out and get this. -Bz