Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante

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This is perhaps the greatest recording of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante around, equaled only by the Perlman/Zukerman recording and even that is a maybe. The playin contrasts two ages of the violin, the great age of Heifetz, Milstein, Menuhin and David Oistrakh in contrast to that of Kremer, Perlman, Zukerman and Igor Oistrakh. The first is a style of incredible freedom, personality and expression combined with aged discipline. The latter, is a playing with the strictest discipline imaginable, yet that of a warm romantic tone. The interpretation of the Beethoven Concerto by this declining Menuhin is maybe the last time the world saw the true greatness of this ultimate prodigy. The playing of the first movement is filled with a drama that touches your very heart, as does the second. The third is a exceptionally classical interpretation. Overall, the Beethoven is played with a warm, remarkably free, and somewhat reminiscent of Georges Enescu. Though there are some minute problems with technique, which many this cold day would scorn, the musicality and heart displayed here is perhaps only equaled by the greatest recording's of Bach's Chaconne.

The violin never sounded better and this is one of Beethoven's finest Violin concertos with the masters playing at their zenith, but the recording sounds like it was done in 1950, the technology now is so much better that it's much finer with a newer recording.