Ysaye sonatas

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Some interesting recordings available, including Oscar Shumsky. Any recommendations?

I have Ricardo Odnoposoff playing two of these on LP--wish I could find him playing the others (if he ever recorded them). It would also be interesting to find a compliation/set played by the various violinists to whom they were dedicated (Szigeti, Kreisler, etc.)

[North Star]

I like Zehetmair a lot in these. Several recent ones ought to be interesting: Ibragimova, Weithaas [only the first CD of a series combining them with the Bach S&P] (2015), Yang, Papavrami, Kantorow (2014)

[kishnevi]

I like Zehetmair a lot in these. Several recent ones ought to be interesting: Ibragimova, Weithaas [only the first CD of a series combining them with the Bach S&P] (2015), Yang, Papavrami, Kantorow (2014)

I got Zehetmair early on, and recently added Ibragimova, Yang, Papavrami, and Karl Stobbe.    The last four seemed about equal, but I prefer Zehetmair, purely subjectively there.    I would suggest sound samples to help you decide.  Are any on Spotify?

[kishnevi]

Probing Amazon further, I see a bunch of violinists have recorded the sonatas including Kremer and Kavakos.  Also several I never heard of, including at least three ladies from Japan.

[kishnevi]

Just ordered a used copy of this


Assuming it is the same recording on the Olympia CD also listed by Amazon, it was recorded in 1976.

[North Star]

Probing Amazon further, I see a bunch of violinists have recorded the sonatas including Kremer and Kavakos.  Also several I never heard of, including at least three ladies from Japan.

I recall really liking what I've heard from the Kavakos recording on the radio a couple of years ago, I should investigate further.

https://www.youtube.com/v/eBvqjkaZsgs

[San Antone]

I think very highly of this recording.

[Jo498]

Has anyone heard Benjamin Schmid (Oehms)? That's one of the cheapest, so I am tempted...

[North Star]

Has anyone heard Benjamin Schmid (Oehms)? That's one of the cheapest, so I am tempted...

I would imagine it's a safe bet: "Schmid displays awesome richness of tone and technical facility in Ysaye´s six sonatas." -- The Strad, June 2000.
He is certainly a great musician, based on the Ligeti VC with Lintu & Finnish RSO, but that is much more recent.

[Jo498]

Thanks; I had not been aware that the Ysaye with Schmid was so old and still from the "arte nova" days (they put a more recent photograph on the Oehms cover).

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Ordered the Zehetmair. (I am also a sucker for those beautiful ECM covers.) I am also interested in the Oscar Shumsky and the others mentioned here later on.

[kishnevi]

Just ordered a used copy of this


Assuming it is the same recording on the Olympia CD also listed by Amazon, it was recorded in 1976.

Listened to Kremer's recording last night.   Seemed to be on about the same level as Zehetmair, meaning top tier.

[Florestan]

This is the only recording I have



Alexandru Tomescu is an excellent Romanian violinist, performing on George Enescu´s Stradivarius. If anyone´s interested in hearing the above CD just PM me. As a bonus I offer Paganini´s complete Caprices by the same guy.