Like Heifetz, Stern, Milstein, Oistrakh, and others, violinist Joseph Szigeti belonged to a golden age of classical music-making and musicians, a time when orchestras played with twice the gusto that their small numbers should have allowed, and a time when soloists each played in a unique but always highly emotive fashion. Unlike some of his counterparts, Szigeti's discography does not seem to be as widely offered, and some of the restorations do not accurately depict what his sound must have been like in person. As in the case of Isaac Stern, Szigeti's acumen on his instrument declined some with age -- particularly in the areas of intonation and vibrato control -- but his musical integrity never waned. Heard here are recordings of the Mendelssohn and Brahms violin concertos with Bruno Walter and Dimitri Mitropoulos, respectively -- two other noteworthy names from the golden age. Both recordings are public performances, not made in the studio, so they both feature more freedom and spontaneity and, of course, more slight performance blemishes. Listeners who would enjoy this album, however, are not those who seek a flawless performance, of which there are countless available by modern artists. Rather, listeners for whom this CD is tailor-made seek an interpretation of these two standard concertos filled with passion, risk-taking, and seasoned romanticism. Szigeti and his colleagues deliver these attributes in abundance.
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