Classical Music as Art—and Play

It is customary for rising musical stars to begin their recording careers with the tried-and-true works of their genre. A pianist will, for instance, record Mozart and Brahms before attempting MacDowell or Tippett, and a cellist will tackle the Dvořák concerto before the Vasks. This strategy makes sense: better to solidify those crucial early albums with reliable masterworks, the logic goes, than to risk them on obscure showpieces.