The Dutch in me always loves value, and I often feel guilt if I am rewarded
incommensurately for what I've done.

On the fly, I purchased a Magic Master CD for $2.99 with John Barbirolli
conducting either the LSO or LPO and with Jascha Heifetz at the violin.
It had to be a historical curiosity if nothing else, since the recordings
are from the mid-1930s.  The brilliance, beauty, immensity, clarity, and
mellifluous performances are matched by the recording's sonics --
unbelievably lucid for recordings dating so far back.

The recording contains old workhorses:  Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in
D major, Vieutemps' Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 31; and Op. 35;
Saraste's Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, no. 1.  I'm not familiar with the
Saraste piece to compare it favorably or not to others, but the Tchaikovsky
and Vieutemps' Violin Concertos are played with splendid virtuosity that
we've come to expect from Heifetz.  Heifetz is an extraordinary violinist,
and his mastery of the instrument in each piece is fully evident.

Barbarolli's accompaniment is equally good, although a bit too recessed for
my taste.  Damn if Barbirolli, truly one of the great conductors of the
last century, couldn't have been a little bit more forward; but
concentration to hear his eloquent accompaniment will repay handsomely.
But that single criticism aside, these are exemplary performances in very
good sound (indeed remarkable sound for the time period).

I've always believed that price shouldn't be a primary consideration,
and usually shouldn't be mentioned (see my diatribes against the "budget"
classifications of Naxos' releases), but here is a clear case where
full-price is fully in order, and yet at Berkshire it's only $3.  This
is a classic is every sense of the word.

"D. Stephen Heersink" <[log in to unmask]>