Arthur Grumiaux - Baroque Violin Sonatas (2013)

This two-disc set contains both of Arthur Grumiaux's recordings of Italian and French Baroque violin sonatas. Listeners who already know Grumiaux's unsurpassed recordings of Bach and Handel's violin sonatas will understandably be dying to hear what he does with these works -- and they won't be disappointed. Whether recorded early or late in the violinist's career, the playing is consistently flawless. From the double and triple trills in the Allegro assai of Tartini's sonata to the arresting Larghetto of Nardini's sonata, Grumiaux delivers model performances of these standard repertoire works. Tactfully and discretely accompanied by pianist Riccardo Castagnone in 1956 and by István Hadju in 1974, Grumiaux's performances still sound superb after all these years and anyone interested in postwar violin playing will surely enjoy these discs. Recorded in either monaural for the 1956 sessions or in stereo for the 1974 sessions, Philips' sound is always absolutely transparent yet always present. ~ James Leonard