Naxos continues its reissue series devoted to Fritz Kreisler’s complete concerto recordings with two priceless items. The Bruch G minor was recorded by the acoustic process in late 1924/early 1925. Although Kreisler approved the test pressings, for commercial reasons the recording never was issued. Electrical recording was on the horizon and would figuratively wipe acoustic orchestral 78s off the map. Fortunately, Kreisler’s test pressings survived and now preserve our only chance to hear the violinist in a major work he otherwise didn’t record. It’s easy to listen past the threadbare, sardine-can accompaniment and zero in on Kreisler’s rapt, committed performance. The antediluvian sonics do nothing to obscure his rich, baritonal timbre, old-fashioned yet purposeful portamentos, and vocally oriented phrasing. Mark Obert-Thorn’s transfer is the cleanest and clearest of this performance I’ve heard.
Rehearing Kreisler’s 1936 Brahms concerto with John Barbirolli reinforces my opinion that it surpasses the fiddler’s 1927 effort. For starters, it’s better recorded, and Barbirolli gets more precise, sophisticated playing from the London Philharmonic than Leo Blech does from the Berlin State Opera Orchestra. And Kreisler shapes the solo part with more nobility, control, and less rhapsodic impulse than he did nine years earlier, notably in the slow movement. Granted, the veteran violinist’s tone may be a shade less robust, yet I can’t help but notice his crisper runs and finer-tuned octaves as the Finale unfolds. Obert-Thorn’s transfer has admirable bloom and presence, with less of the darker, mid-range emphasis that characterizes Ward Marston’s equally truthful transfer for Biddulph. An essential acquisition for Kreisler fans that’s seductively priced and graced by succinct, scholarly, and informative notes by Tully Potter.
