Vladimir Spivakov, Sergei Bezrodnyi - Violin Sonatas (2001)

The excellence of the sound on this disc is partly down to Vladimir Spivakov, who has the most amazing tonal quality. Kyung Wha Chung likened Heifetz's tone to the effect of looking at a very beautiful woman; one is awed by it, thrilled in the moment of hearing, wanting never to lose that sense of heightened aesthetic awareness. Such is the effect of Spivakov's playing as well. It comes across admirably thanks to the Capriccio engineers, both here and in his Chausson disc from around the same time. Because it is a small label, and Spivakov rarely heard in Britain, the disc seems to get little attention, but right from the opening moments of the early Ravel sonata (as opposed to the more famous later one) the quality is unmistakeable. The rapport with the pianist, Sergei Bezrodnyi, is also of the highest order. They tend to towards broader tempos - the opening of the Franck is particularly leisurely and dreamy, as if floating in from elsewhere - while the pyrotechnics are very present, they are never overdone or threaten to turn it into display. You are convinced by every phrase ... the Strauss finds them even more at their zenith, as it can easily become too much, but they hold it in perfect focus, leaving you with the impression of an out-and-out masterpiece.