Prokofiev's two violin concertos come from very different periods in his life, and they sound quite distinct from one another. That makes them nicely contrasted when coupled on a single disc, as they are here. Tedi Papavrami feels the music very strongly and has technique to burn. The orchestra and conductor have already made a very positive impression in their successful set of the complete piano concertos for Naxos, so there's nothing to quarrel with in that department. Truth is, at budget price, these performances can hold their own with just about any in the catalog. It's not the only way to play this colorful music, but it's pretty darn fine on its own terms. --David Hurwitz