Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Mozart: Violin Concerto

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For my taste, there are four supreme recordings of the Beethoven Violin Concerto: Menuhin/Furtwaengler, Kreisler/Blech, Hubermann/Szell, and perhaps the greatest of all, Szigeti/Walter. This is the famous 1932 performance which caught both artists at their peak, in a wonderfully natural and rich sounding transfer. Szigeti is more intense and forceful in the outer movements and more ethereal and elevated in the Largo than than other violinists, all with a lean, unsensuous tone that reveals the music rather than submerging it in tonal perfume. As mentioned, the transfer is extremely good and has all the impact of a pristine copy of the 78 originals.

When I listen to some of the available samples of Beethoven's VC on amazon (and also some clips on youtube), somehow I am reminded of Brahms. Perhaps they are rather heavy and with too much drama for the Beethoven in my heart.
On the contrary, Szigeti's performance is so lighthearted but at the same time with depth (by depth I mean it's not the music for the background and I do not get tired of it after repeatedly listening to it). I feel the playing is like the gentle touches of a beautiful pencil sketch, with spacious room for the listeners to breathe.
btw, the recording by Szigeti and Dorati is also excellent.