Search - Bronislaw Huberman, Vienna Philharmonic :: Volume 2

Huberman--the true spirit of Bach's music

01/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bronislaw Huberman was a musical genius, declared as such by people as authoritative and different as Johannes Brahms, Anton Rubinstein or Wilhelm Furtwangler. In his youth -- especially before a grave plane accident -- Huberman was also an astonishing virtuoso, testimony his 1929 Tchaikovsky Concerto opus 35, as fast as Heifetz's but, in my opinion, much more passionate and deeper. This disc includes performances from 1934, in very acceptable sound. Huberman's Mozart is not the "academically correct" one but it is full of spirit, tenderness and poetry. His Bach is even better. In my personal evaluation, these performances, together with (the young) Menuhin's (Enescu conducting) and Adolf Busch's are the most spiritual and humanly compelling. Many people find this (unfortunately lost) tradition of Bach playing sentimental and stylistically unauthentic. I find it extremely touching and convincing."