Korngold Violin Concerto

I have Gil Shaham's DG recording which I quite like, but find the violin sound rather close.

Any other recommendations, preferably in stereo? I believe Heifitz was the dedicatee, when was his version recorded and what is the sound like?

Ad far as I know, Heifetz's only recording is in mono. I've never seen a stereo one, I guess it could be OOP or never released on CD or something...

Perlam did a pretty good recording of it. I believe the original CD is OOP, but it's also available on 'The Art of Izthak Perlman'

Music & Arts has the stunning 1947 Heifetz live recording (with Efrem Kurtz and the NYP). To my mind, infinitely preferable to the 1953 studio re-make in Los Angeles. Heifetz's playing in the 1947 performance positively blazes. And the sound isn't bad (though you need to edit-out the applause between the movements).

For an excellent outsider, try Vera Tsu and the 'Rasumovsky Sinfonia' on Naxos. Attractive coupling is the Goldmark concerto, also in a fine performance.

Harry Collier

Sounds good but can't find any reference to it on M&A's website.

Strongly agree. I found the sound so bad that I didn't keep the recording.

Heifetz is essential in this music. His recording has all of the Heiftez features that some revere and others loathe. The sound is excellent mono and should not be a barrier to enjoyment.

I also like Perlman's recording with Previn, a pre-digital effort on EMI. Unfortunately, here too the soloist is overrecorded, but not nearly as annoyingly as Shaham.

I found the Mathe version on Dorian shockingly devoid of life.

Paul Goldstein

No, not really. Shaham is the best by a wide margin (and since the disc also includes his benachmark performance of the Barber VC, I really do think it's one of the best VC discs ever!).

Alternatives are Perlman/Previn (a bit wimpy to these ears) and Juilliet/Mauceri (currently on sale by Decca, a bit too clean). Vera Tsu on Naxos isn't bad on the budget end of the scale. Heifetz of course is great, but as I recall, his recording makes the violin sound very, very close.

Funny, sounds like it is in stereo to my ears..... I must have funny ears. Perhaps the performance is so superlative it creates the effect? Or perhaps I am just losing my mind? I prefer the former.

Evidently my eyes must be failing too, WHERE in the notes does it say this is a mono recording?

The fact that it was recorded on 10 January 1953 ought to be a clue. RCA made no stereo recordings until early 1954.

It's mono that's been 'sweetened' to give it a sense of breadth. Producer Jack Pfeiffer, once a defender of good sound, succumbed to market-driven madness in his final years and gave his blessing to such tinkering.

Compare the LP release of the Heifetz acoustic recordings with the CD set and you'll hear the horror at its worst.

On 21 Feb 2003 19:59:54 GMT, 'Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net

Well, knock me over with a feather. Forgive my ignorance. On January 10 1953 I was only a year and twelve days old..... and no one told me about this.