Brahms Violin [Sonata] Sonatas – No. 1 in G major, Op. 78; No. 2 in A major, Op. 100; No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108. Josef Suk (vn); Julius Katchen (pf).

Decca (Mid  price) (CD) 421 092-2DM (68 minutes: ADD). From SXL6321 (1/68). Also issued as (Cassette) 421 092-4DM.

Twenty-one years old, this recording stands as a classic. Not only do Suk and Katchen get to the very heart of the Brahms sonatas, but the sound quality is considerably better than that of a number of modern releases that have recently come my way. The violin has terrific refinement, and although the piano is slightly fuzzy at the edges this does not really matter. Suk employs expressive devices, such as portamento and vibrato, with economy. His nobility as a musician is unassailable. It is the hidden Brahms, such as one finds in the Adagio of the G major that is especially effectively conveyed. One's attention never wavers. Whether it is the nostalgia of the coda from the A major Sonata's. slow movement or the petulance of the finale from the D minor, the two players are masterful. A wonderful release, with the remastering yielding first-rate results in recorded sound.
JMC