I’m a real fan of the cello and violin and variants like fiddle / viola, etc. we can include orchestral stuff where there is serious cello / violin focus / solo’s n such.
what are your favorite songs? albums? artists?
I’m thinking I want to start an LP collection for these very things.
I know more modern artists, can’t recall any albums off the top of my head but they are:
Sarah Neufeld’s THE RIDGE
Canadian violinist
Excellent
seems there are a number of recordings on YouTube. any of them particularly good?
The one from her album
Oh sh… What did I just discover…
Apocalyptica and Sarah Neufeld are so great
Thank you guys
I don’t have many in hands
Oliver Davis - Infinite Ocean: VI by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Zoe Keating - Forte
Bach, sonatas and Partitas for solo violin; Either of Nathan Milstein’s cycles — I lean toward his second on Deutsche Grammophone.
Ysaye Sonatas for solo violin. Leonid Kavakos would be my first choice here.
I’m more partial to the cello than the violin…any cello names to share wag?
Again the entire basis for solo cello music at least… is Bach. And I have maybe 20 recordings of the Cello Suites, with a real tough time choosing… between classic recordings, modern recordings, original-instrument recordings… I will go a slightly different direction for the cello suites in picking a modern (stellar recording quality) rendition and say try Jean Guihen Queyras’ cycle.
I could suggest others but also could have suggested others for the violin music! So many classics, and different modern approaches to this music.
please share, that’s what this thread is for and it helps me build a playlist! 
Ok… will run through some others. And other music. But now I am stealing time and posting from my phone… so later. And full fear at being a “classical music critic” in over my head!
While I am thinking about it…there’s a “double album” by cello and piano duo, Matt Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley called “SHUFFLE. PLAY. LISTEN.” Which is pretty great if you’re good with piano/cello. First half is classical pieces, second half is arrangements of rock and fusion and unclassifiable… Has Radiohead and Cocteau Twins and Mahavishnu Orchestra (for example). Pretty damn great.
In contrast to the Queyras, Anner Bylsma’s second traversal of the Bach cello suites was done with “period practice”, period-cello with it’s lower tuning and darker sound. Some people much prefer his first version, which is a lighter affair, and I get that. (His studen Peter Wispelwey has now done all the suites I believe three times… also – particularly his second traversal – supremely well-received, but … the list is very long at this point for virtuoso cellists who have played these!). The Prelude from the 1st suite is the big “hit” that you either adore or are tired of, I think… here’s the Bylsma that I like so much:
The great cellist, Pablo Casals, did a solo cello arrangement of the traditional “Song of the Birds” which is another warhorse/encorse piece cellists play. I don’t know the studio recording of this… but another cellist I am blown away by is Truls Mork, here live:
To violin again just for a tune… Lili Haydn does a cover of Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain…
Nathaniel Rosen is a really good artist. I love his Bach collection.
Two Foot Yard was (is?) a trio with violin and cello… first record was under Carla Kihlstedt’s name, and album title was Two Foot Yard. Iirc, the second record came out under than band name. Stuff leans “experimental “ but much of it is really approachable. (And all of these musicians have collaborated a hundred other places, so it gets to be a cool rabbit hole of you find yourself intrigued). One song can’t really begin to hint at the range; nevertheless…
Mischa Maisky is another (besides Rosen) who does a modern, “romantic” reading, at least on his second cycle. I love the Ralph Kirshbaum cycle (which was also dirt cheap in the CD era when I bought it)… There is no shortage of great cellists. Other modern types that come to mind are Lyn Harrell, Steven Isserlis (who the UK/Grammophone folks adore most it seems), Janis Starkers third recording, Mtislav Rostropovich (superstar hype around this one)… a doze more!
Classics from Pierre Fournier and Paul Tortelier are still first rate though they are older recordings… the Pablo Casals recording that saved these pieces from oblivion bit those are seriously old and with recording quality to match… its tough to point out where to start. I think Matt Haimovitz (mentioned above for other recordongs) has done… three? now? maybe two still. …
I am afraid of writing an essay. Or wall of text. So I will leave it at this ramble for the moment. As far as the Bach cello suites go, at least.
I have been going through more on the Bach cello suites…which leads to a never-ending thread… but to take a slight break from that, and to return to Carla Kihlstedt, and her Two Foot Yard… This is a trio. Carla plays violin and sings; Marika Hughes plays cello (and sings harmonies). And Shahzad Ismaily plays drums, mostly, and various other things (melodica, guitar, etc). Kihlstedt herself is one of those people who was playing Mozart concert repertoire as a kid. At what level? I don’t know. She went to Oberlin music conservatory… and had a rock career (for lack of a better term) afterward. She first recorded the song “Flinch” with the VERY heavy band, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, of which she was a member. Here it is with her own Two Foot Yard trio:
And more for showing variety than anything, another song from the same record, “Peel” – the “bassline” is all pizzicato cello
And just to give an idea… Carla with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum:
… and back to Bach… to play the cliche’d “hit” (which is really irresistible after all)… alternative to my previously recommended Queyras rendition, maybe, is Gavriel Lipkind:
Well, if classical music isn’t ruled out then
Leopold Hofmann: Concerto For Violin, Cello And Strings In G Major
From Naxos album Leopold Hofmann Violin Concertos, https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554233. Is on Spotify. This is classical music that isn’t serious in tone but instead is an extended joyous romp of a dialogue between the two instruments. There’s also a full album of Hofmann cello concertos on Naxos. Cellist is Tim Hugh on both.
(BTW, the actual cello part doesn’t start until 1:00, after the obligatory orchestral introduction.)