Defining "wiry,"
Zino Francescatti's tone is lean, hard but edgy. At the same time, however,
Francescatti's close to sentimental interpretations almost imperceptibly but undeniably define "sweet." In these 1961 and 1965 recordings of
Mendelssohn and
Tchaikovsky's violin concertos,
Francescatti's tone just about but not quite changes the meaning of the works while his interpretations just about but not quite bring them all back home. Two of the tenderest and most sentimental of nineteenth century violin concertos,
Francescatti's tone nearly transforms them into hard-edged works. In
Francescatti's hands,
Mendelssohn's opening Allegro molto appassionato sounds almost raw and his closing Allegro molto vivace sounds almost rough, while
Tchaikovsky's opening Allegro moderato sounds near to muscular and his closing Allegro vivacissimo sounds near to brutal. But then there's
Francescatti's interpretations, which give
Mendelssohn's central Andante and
Tchaikovsky's central Canzonetta the shine and shimmer of sheer sentiment. Aided by
George Szell and the
Cleveland Orchestra in the
Mendelssohn and by
Thomas Schippers and the
New York Philharmonic in the
Tchaikovsky,
Francescatti's performances walk the line between wiry and sweet -- and how well they succeed depends on the listeners' ability to hold these two adjectives in their minds simultaneously. Sony's remastered stereo sound is easily as clear, warm, and honest as the finest super audio digital recordings.