Search - Arthur Grumiaux, Clara Haskill :: Beethoven: Violin Sonatas

Beethoven interpretation at its peak of perfection

Mike Birman | Brooklyn, New York USA | 09/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This splendid three CD box set of Beethoven's complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano features perhaps the finest such duo of the mid-20th Century: Violinist Arthur Grumiaux and Pianist Clara Haskil. They are equally renowned for their Mozart performances and Grumiaux produced a splendid recording of the Bach solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas. Haskil's various Mozart recordings, especially of the Piano Concertos, are some of the finest, most lyrically eloquent ever made. Both musicians represent the summa of music's Germanic core at mid-century in its recorded state.



These three CDs place Beethoven's Sonatas in chronological order, making it easier to follow the progression of his musical thought and the evolution of his style. What one discovers quickly, aided by such splendid playing, is how swiftly (certainly by the Opus 30 Sonatas, written in 1802) Beethoven relinquished Mozartean lyricism in favor of a motoric rhythmic drive and much shorter melodic lines. There is often an expansion and contraction of the musical pulse (much like the intake and release of breath), frequently in the very same movement. This requires rhythmic flexibility, a subtly different, exquisitely free sense of time a la Furtwangler: a trait more common in the 40's and 50's than today's more rigid linearity. In other words, Beethoven had learned how to breath life into his music and Haskil and Grumiaux were positioned to express it effortlessly. That's what makes these recordings so good, so necessary for a serious Classical collection. Both performers are lyrical, capable of great beauty of tone, yet they are intellectual enough to convey the profound musical architecture of these pieces. You will enjoy these performances on several levels simultaneously: they are multi-dimensional performances as opposed to today's all-too-often 'single-note' musicality.



These recordings were made in early stereo between September 1956 and September 1957. They are beautifully recorded, clear and full with somewhat narrow separation. Comparing these to Mutter/Orkis and Argerich/Kremer, there is a beauty of tone and a level of confident music making that stands just slightly above. Beethoven's Sonatas are great enough to merit several different interpretations. One of them should be this set. Most strongly recommended.



Mike Birman"

Great performances, but recorded balance is an issue

jsa | San Diego, CA United States | 03/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am typically far more focused on musical performance than recorded sound, with the majority of the music in my collection coming from the early days of stereo; however, in this case I do have serious reservations about the sound. Although these readings of Beethoven's violin sonatas have been highly esteemed by collectors over the years, they suffer from a lopsided balance between the violin & piano. The violin is very much forward in the sound picture, really dominating the piano which appears to have been placed too far away from the microphone and/or with the lid closed too far down. What should be an equal partnership sounds more like violin music with piano accompaniment. This is especially disturbing as you strain to hear Clara Haskil's sensitively nuanced, but muted, playing over the bold strokes of Arthur Grumiaux's violin. The sonatas were recorded between September 1956 & September 1957, although I don't hear much variation in the sound among them."

Beautiful collaboration

violinmama | southern california | 12/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can't add much to what's already been said. Sensitive, beautiful playing by both Grumiaux and Haskil. Also wonderful to have all the sonatas together."