In early 2007, both Decca and Brilliant released three disc sets of
Beethoven's complete violin sonatas played by Belgian violinist
Arthur Grumiaux and Romanian pianist
Clara Haskil. Recorded in 1956 and 1957 and originally released on LP by Philips, these performances have stood the test of time.
Grumiaux's effortless virtuosity, elegant phrasing, and impeccable intonation coupled with
Haskil's soul and sympathetic if not always note-perfect accompaniment made for one of the most instantly appealing collections of these central repertoire works, and despite its age, anyone looking for a complete set should certainly consider this one.
Oddly enough, though, the sound seems to be quite different in both issues. Decca's is big and boomy with a healthy dollop of reverb, while Brilliant's sound is dry and distant with minimal, or at least minimized, reverb. This is particularly odd since Philip's original LP sound was slightly dry but deep with a reasonable amount of reverb. Thus, those interested in
Grumiaux and
Haskil's
Beethoven sonatas are presented with two very different sonic alternatives in these reissues.