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Passionate Reading of the Faure Sonato 1

Enesco, Handel, Chausson, Menuhin

Biddulph Records

• List price: $17.98
• Lowest new price: $252.99
• Lowest used price: $79.94

Average customer rating:

Exquisite

I consider myself to be a complete amateur when it comes to the evaluation of any instrumental music. Having said that, I will say that George Enescu makes the violin sing like no other I have ever heard before. This is an archival recording from the 20's to the late 30's, so the original recording quality is not the best (lots of scratchiness, like you would hear on REALLY old records). Nonetheless, the distraction/irritation caused by the "scratchiness" of this recording is beyond miniscule in relationship to the exquisite music on this CD. I have heard Enescu's music played by other performers, and it simply doesn't match his own performance on the violin.
I probably paid over market value for this, but I would say that this recording is worth at least twice what I paid for it, in terms of the pleasure it will bring to me. I have NO hesitation in recommending this to anyone who enjoys classical music.

Matchless.

Records like this one is what separates legends from mortals. Fortunately, it is still available via special order from its producers, Biddulph Recordings in England. Together with Bach's Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, Enescu's own Violin Sonatas nos. 2 and 3 (recently reissued by Electrecord), the CD here represents the exquisite legacy on record as a violinist of one of the greatest musical geniuses of the 20th Century. To just say `highly recommended" would be an understatement in this case.