Kavakos and Eschenbach combine to make inspired recital

Leonidas Kavakos, the Greek virtuoso in residence at the Kennedy Center for several concerts this month, cultivates a sleek, slightly impersonal sound, in contrast to the fiery intensity of his youth. The technique behind it is a thing of wonder; he digs out every detail, each note speaking clearly no matter how fast or difficult the passage. But like Joshua Bell and Gidon Kremer before him, Kavakos is more of a jeweler than a singer, and I prefer artists whose sound, all by itself, grips your s...