Customer Reviews

Violin Concertos 1-3 / Orchestral Suites

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Just to add to the wealth of knowledge already poured into the past reviews (i.e. 'gooey' sounds), I would note that these performances are nothing more than a hasty interpretation pinned with a great name. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this CD is just a big conspiracy to raise money for the Seraphim company. If you want to listen to the master at his best, get his recording of the Beethoven and Mendelssohn violin concertos with Furtwangler and the BPO. If you want to hear the best recording available of the Bach concertos, listen to the Salvatore Accardo version with The Chamber Orchestra of Europe. But I digress...the sound quality on this CD is poor, with a muffled sound quality, the players have no sense of balance, and the tempo is too slow on every concerto. The same is true for the orchestral suites, so please, before you buy, realize you're getting what you pay for.

I'd been atracted by the Menuhin name on this CD, but it appears that even Menuhin has bad recordings. The violin concertos by J.S.Bach are among the most delightfull pieces for violin and orchestra but this recording is just a shame. Just as an example, at the second movement of the first concerto the sound of the orchestra and spesially the celli is so heavy and messy that it gives a headache. And then beyond the performance that is far from being exceptional, the quality of the recording is too bad, I know that it's a live performance of 1960-1962, but still ...

Just one advice, don't buy this CD!

Disc 1 has a gorgeous collection of violin concertos, some of the best by Bach, it's lovely.