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This was the first recording of Harnoncourt that I bought. Unaware that he uses a chamber orchestra I could already sense the power of the music he generates from the opening tutti. Never has the opening timpani sounded so precise, with such a such sense of purpose & drama (In many other recordings the opening timpani notes sounded like the orchestra is just warm-up). At first I did not find the recording as great as the Penguine guide has claimed, but on repeated listening I slowly began to feel the powerful & dramatic effect of this music making. Harnoncourt knows what he is doing. By using a chamber orchestra (as far as I know, a mixture of both modern & authentic instruments), he lightens up the orchestral texture, brings out the clarity of both the woodwind & lower strings, and produces a reading that is crisp, fresh and full of bite. Without the heavy lower strings & inflated brass sound of the modern orchestra which can sound clumsy, he tightens & intensifies the music so that not at any point is the listener allowed to wander away. 
Kremer's playing, as usual, is full energy & vigor. Just listen to the great dynamic contrast & subtlety of his cadenza-like passages in the first movement. With great sensitivity, never once does he allow the intensity of the music to loosen (which can be a real problem in the massive 1st movement). The second movement is meditative, yet not over-romantic (as found at times in Schneiderhan and many other players), but has a sweetness of rare intensity. The third movement is effortlessly light and full of humor, without loosing any intensity when called for. Here Kremer demonstrates that he is still one of the greatest virtuosos around. 

The most controversial issue here is of course the CADENZA sections, especially in the first movement, where the backstage piano suddenly comes out through the loudspeakers of the concert hall. The concerto suddenly transforms into a trio for timpani, piano & violin. Kremer 'instrumented" them from Beethoven's own arrangement of the violin concerto for piano, timpani & orchestra. At first I also find it strange, but with repeated listening, it sounds rather interesting, with timpani giving highly dramatic solo passages (indeed Harnoncourt uses the timpani to great theatrical effect throughout the whole concerto). The flawless concentrated playing of Kremer alone is enough to compensate for any loss of integrity during this "triple concerto section" The cadenza in the second movement is for violin alone while in the third movement cadenza the piano makes a brief final appearance. The musical quality of the cadenza itself is great, with many references of material from the concerto itself, and integrates very well into the concerto. Personally I still prefer this "trio" to Kennedy's ridiculous "quarter tones" in third movement cadenza where he attempt to demonstrate his unorthodox 'taste'. Schneiderhan uses the same Beethoven cadenzas arranged for violin alone in his recording with Jochum to great effects. His collaboration with Jochum is a classic reading of great nobility and beauty in the traditional manner, probably the one to go for if wants only one definitive version. 

The 2 violin romances are again sensitivity delivered, without falling into the trap of over-romantization. Indeed, under Kremer's hands, these pieces seem to have much greater significance than they usually sound. In conclusion, this is a powerful, fresh & high-spirited reading of the Concerto, an interesting modern approach that leads well into the 21st century. Those who have listened to Kremer's Beethoven Violin Sonatas will know what I mean. Needless to say, this somewhat unorthodox version is a must for admirers of both Haroncourt & Kremer. For those who wants a fresh feel of this work should also give this a try! And guess what, by the end of listening you would not have believed that this is actually a live recording!