Christian Tetzlaff has won the Limelight Orchestral Recording of the Year 2020 for his masterful coupling of the Beethoven and Sibelius Violin Concertos on the Finnish label Ondine with Robin Ticciati conducting the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. The German violinist has recorded both works before, but these new interpretations combine narrative skill with plenty of virtuosity in what our reviewer described as an essential purchase. Clive Paget caught up with Tetzlaff at home in Germany to find out what drove him to re-record the two concertos, how his approach to each has changed over the years, and his “lust” for a good collaborative partnership.

Christian TetzlaffChristian Tetzlaff. Photos © Giorgia Bertazzi

Congratulations on winning the 2020 Limelight Orchestral Recording of the Year.

Thank you!

Can I start by asking what was the particular reason for pairing these two works?

First was a personal thing: if I can record with Robin Ticciati, who I dearly love and who to work with is truly fantastic, then I want to do pieces which are close to my heart. Both pieces we wanted to do together. Only after that you try to find what unites the pieces, but I think...