Josef Suk, Julius Katchen - Brahms: Violin Sonatas (1988)

Josef Suk, the Czech violinist whose noble, aristocratic style was admirably suited to Brahms' music, and Julius Katchen, a superb American pianist whose premature death in 1969 robbed us of one of his generation's most outstanding talents, recorded these sonatas in 1967. Since then they've generally been regarded as classics, deserving of the "Legends" appellation of the label. Suk plays with a golden glow to his tone. His phrasing is natural, nothing forced. In more heated moments, such as the Presto agitato finale to Op. 108, he supplies the requisite fire, never losing tonal luster. In Op. 78's first movement, as in countless other places, mounting excitement comes less from faster speeds or louder dynamics but from the palpable intensification of his rich tone. Suk's legato playing is a marvel; you feel his bow never leaves the strings even in the most extended passages, and throughout, he has that "speaking" quality to the phrasing that was a feature of the greatest fiddlers of the past.
Katchen is an ideal partner, far from the passive accompanist we often hear in staple works. He matches Suk's poetic lyricism and powers climaxes boldly, imbuing the keyboard part with individuality. The transfers are the best these performances have had; it's worth replacing the old London ADRM CD release, which sounds nasal and grainy alongside this one.