Arthur Grumiaux – Beethoven, Bruch: Violin Concertos (2006) [SACD]

PentaTone Classic’s releases of many historic recordings on SACD (or RQR, “Remastered Quadro Recordings,” as they call them) do listeners a service by presenting recordings from the 1970s as they were originally engineered by Philips. That is, in quadraphonic sound. Philips was indeed ahead of the mark when it began making recordings in four-channel audio long before it was readily available for playback by consumers. Fortunately, the original masters are being re-released on SACD and the spacious, clear sound achieved is quite pleasant.
Noticeably lacking in these recordings, however, are sufficient liner notes. The notes included spend so much time discussing the technology involved in the recording that they fail to make even a single mention of the violinist, legendary Belgian Arthur Grumiaux — hailed by many as one of the leading violinists of the twentieth century. No mention is made of the young Colin Davis conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, either.
The performances heard here are quite enjoyable. Both the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and theNew Philharmonia Orchestra deliver first-rate accompaniments, and their sound, heard in four-channel mode, wraps around you like you’re sitting among the musicians. Grumiaux’s performance, while not flawless, is always very musical and filled with well-chosen risks

Pentatone continues to provide treasures from the past. A major reissue is the 1974 recording of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto played by Arthur Grumiaux with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra directed by Sir Colin Davis. Grumiaux already had recorded this concerto with Eduard Van Beinum and the same orchestra in June 1957, but not in stereo. The Grumiaux/Davis recording has been issued several times in stereo but now we have it in the original four-track version. The stereo sound was superb, but this multi-channel version is magnificent; the listener is right in the best seat in the Concertgebouw. And the performance is perfection. Coupled with the Beethoven we have Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Philharmonia Orchestra directed by Heinz Wallberg which was recorded in London’s Wembly Brent Town Hall in September 1973. Again, a glorious performance, with wonderfully natural sonics.