Columbia SAX 2388

SAX 2388

Brahms Violin Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2

Igor Oistrakh, violin
Anton Ginzburg, piano

Pressing:  ES1

Stampers:
YAX 593-11
YAX 594-11

Condition:  EX
 
Performance:  9/10

Sound:  7/10

Comments:

To my knowledge, this is one of the rarest Columbia SAXes and the only one starring Igor Oistrakh, the son of the legendary David Oistrakh.  All the Oistrakh recordings on British Columbia fetch high prices on Ebay and the classical dealer's market.  This one is a charm to listen to.  I love the Brahms violin sonatas, and Igor Oistrakh's performances are both warm and dramatic.  Like his father, he plays with a beautiful, singing tone.  I get the impression that the recording must have been made in a small studio, since my ears pick up very little reverberation or resonance (update 8/4/15: I'd now call this dry).  It gives the listener the overall sense that you are intimately witnessing a private recital with these two great performers.  My copy is pretty clean, except for a small mark on side 2 which causes a few repetitive tics.  All things considered, very enjoyable.  This recording is also available on CD from EMI:

http://www.amazon.com/Beethoven-Schubert-Brahms-Chamber-Violin/dp/B000002SEE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362457758&sr=8-3&keywords=igor+oistrakh+brahms+sonatas