Funny thing about historic recordings...there are those that document performances that have not been duplicated or surpassed in a half century or more -- recordings that belong on the shelf of any listener even the slightest bit interested in classical music. Then there are those recordings that are interesting from a purely historical perspective, but whose performances are not exactly what would be considered the gold standard for the particular works featured therein. This album, featuring pianist Artur Balsam and ...
Read More
Funny thing about historic recordings...there are those that document performances that have not been duplicated or surpassed in a half century or more -- recordings that belong on the shelf of any listener even the slightest bit interested in classical music. Then there are those recordings that are interesting from a purely historical perspective, but whose performances are not exactly what would be considered the gold standard for the particular works featured therein. This album, featuring pianist Artur Balsam and violinist Louis Kaufman, is one of the latter. Although the liner notes make passing references to the fact that these performances were recorded sometime in the 1950s, the exact dates and locations are nowhere to be found. Balsam, who was much sought after as a collaborator for chamber music, by far offers the strongest playing on the album. His string companions, including Kaufman, do not even come close to rising to his level. While these recordings are historically interesting because...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.