It's not as if Columbia didn't know what it had in the vaults. These recordings by violinist
Zino Francescatti and pianist
Robert Casadesus of three of
Beethoven's sonatas for violin and piano were among the very first long-playing classical albums the company released back in the early '50s, and in their day they were renowned for their poise, clarity, and chaste beauty. But 50 years passed and apparently they must have forgotten because these performances have been out of print for nearly 40 years. Fortunately, Biddulph, one of the classiest of classical reissue labels, remembered, because here
Francescatti and
Casadesus' recordings are at last restored again to the catalog. And how do they sound after all this time? Excellent in every way but one.
Francescatti possessed a lean tone, an agile technique, impeccable intonation, and a delightful way with a melody.
Casadesus possessed perhaps not quite as agile a technique and a slightly heavier tone, but he still knew how to pour on the charm when the music called for it. Together, they were a splendid team: lyrical, graceful, and very sympathetic, and their performances of the C minor Sonata, Op. 30/2, the G major Sonata, Op. 30/3, and, as the pièce de resistance, the "Kreutzer" Sonata in A major, Op. 47, are able to stand with the best performances of the last 40 years. So what's the drawback? In a word, the sound. While one can only commend David Hermann for his silent and virtually flawless transfers, one can only regret that the original Columbia long players had such muted, even hooded, sound. Not only do both players sound like they're playing behind a heavy drape,
Casadesus sounds like his piano is wrapped in blankets and duct tape. Still, this disc will be warmly welcomed by fans of great chamber music.