Even Japanese Sony's remastering can't make Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra's Brahms 4th sound great. But it is a great performance, and sounds good enough.



On CD

Baroque cello sonatas, typically with a harpsichord, were very popular. But as the piano evolved into the modern concert grand they became, shall we say, technically difficult because the piano tended to overwhelm the cello. Also, because Beethoven wrote 5 of them and I would rank them up there with his masterpieces of chamber music so they were a tough act to follow. Record companies like to pair up their "famous" cellist with an equally "famous" pianist they have under contract to record them, and many are outstanding.



On CD.

Gulda and Fournier's recording from the late 50s is one my favorites.

Quote:


They are of course duets, but before Beethoven most of these sonatas were clearly meant for one solo instrument and one playing the accompaniment. Beethoven was one of the first that made them truly a duet, a conversation between (more or less) equals.

Moving on to the Dvorak Slavonic Dances. For many years, and maybe up to the present day George Szell's mid-60s recording with the Cleveland Orchestra was considered the reference. But I prefer another Hungarian, Christoph von Dohnányi leading the same orchestra.



16/44 FLAC download

Both versions are outstanding, but I prefer Dohnányi's more relaxed and lyrical approach. And the London Digital recording is light-years ahead of the Columbia/CBS/Sony sound on the Szell album.