First the good news: Yehudi Menuhin and Wanda Landowska’s powerfully inflected Bach E major Sonata, recorded in 1945, has never sounded better on disc. Andrew Walter’s amazing transfer liberates dynamics compressed in previous transfers. Surface noise is reduced, but not at the expense of overtones and color. Similarly, the violinist’s complete 1951 cycle of the Bach Keyboard Sonatas with Louis Kentner might be mistaken for a recording of more recent vintage. Here, however, the degree to which Menuhin’s technique deteriorated since the Landowska sessions is alarming to behold. His once robust tone is shriveled and constipated, and you can forget about surety of intonation. Even Kentner’s unflappable, beautifully phrased piano parts can’t divert our ears from such unlovely fiddling. In fairness, Menhuin got himself together again when he re-recorded these sonatas with harpsichordist George Malcolm (EMI, not yet reissued), and also for his delightful 1965 CBC television encounter with Glenn Gould (Sony). Wait for the Menuhin/Malcolm set to turn up on CD, and avoid this release.
