>I'm amazed that no one has mentioned the superb Szigeti recording from
>1928 (Sir Hamilton Harty/Halle Orchestra)

terrific recording- orchestra is remarkably good- Harty must have been a
very fine conductor- Kreisler recorded the Brahms around the same time with
an almost amateur sounding orchestra and less fidelity- could never figure
out why Kreisler was not provided with a better orchestra-

>or even the remake with Ormandy in 1945.

not as good- past his prime

>I also get a bit fed up with the Heifetz bashing that so many appear
>to revel in.  His two studio performances (Koussevitzky and Reiner)

The Koussevitzky has a very interesting and exciting cadenza and I feel
is the better of the 2-

AB