Search - Kreisler :: Early Recordings

Fritz Kreisler's velvety tone, bursting with high-caloric vibrato, virtually forced listeners to feel cuddly all over. But he was also a great artist whose all-too-rare concerto recordings revealed a first-class interpreter. Kreisler remade the Beethoven and Brahms Concertos a decade later, but these 1926 recordings are marginally preferable--he was in his prime and more secure technically. They feature his trademark warmth and sweetness, but there's also a humane, relaxed music-making that touches the heart. The Mendelssohn too, is outstanding; the golden glow of his tone would be sufficient, but there's also a nobility of phrasing and a directness of emotion that's irresistible. The same might be said of the Mozart and the short solo pieces. An indispensable set. --Dan Davis