Their Sarasate was party, circus and chamber music all rolled into one, thanks to the wild energy of the Kazakh violinist.
It is rather more difficult to achieve this on disc. Julia Fischer gives her considerable all to over an hour of music, signing off with a heart-in-mouth Zigeunerweisen. But something is missing - one sorely needs to see this spirited performance to enjoy its obvious physicality.
Tasmin Little ends her Chandos collection, The Lark Ascending, with a thoughtful account of Vaughan Williams' celebrated rhapsody, beautifully underlined by Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Philharmonic.
A third of this generous disc is given over to shorter English pieces by Delius, Holst and Elgar, showcasing Little's artistry and singular personality.
Elgar's Chanson de Matin, Chanson de Nuit and Salut d'amour are salon miniatures, presented in sensitive new arrangements by Roger Turner. Little is at her most persuasive; Elgar's night song seems darker, with climaxes that swell to nobilmente.
Miraculously, the taint of sentimentality is totally avoided throughout.
The disc opens with a gripping 1942 Violin Concerto by E.J. Moeran (1894-1950).
This powerful work is not well enough known and Little is simply marvellous, roaming through a richly pastoral first movement and enjoying, with conductor Davis and his musicians, the swerve and thrust of a Rondo that mates a spiky British reel with a wry march in the Prokofiev mould.
Classic CD
Julia Fischer, Sarasate (Decca)
Stars: 4/5
Tasmin Little, The Lark Ascending (Chandos, through Ode Records)
Stars: 5/5
Verdict: Servings of tapas-like Spanish trifles cannot compete with a hearty and substantial English meal.
