Francescatti: Beethoven "Kreutzer" + Op. 12/1 (r. 1949) - Philips L 01.446 L

Jacket NM / LP NM-

This beautiful gatefold LP – a superb collector’s copy – from Philips · Trésors Classiques (L 01.446 L, French pressing, red/white Trésors Classiques label, mono, cloth spine) features violinist Zino Francescatti and pianist Robert Casadesus’ brilliant accounts of Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas No. 9 in A Major Op. 47 “Kreutzer” and No. 1 in D Major Op. 12 No. 1. 

Both performances were warmly recorded at Columbia 30^th Street Studio, New York, in December 1949 and precede his more familiar stereo re-makes that formed part of his complete cycle of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas.

The Francescatti/Casadesus duo was a venerated musical partnership and friendship of deep understanding and respect and can be spoken of in the same breath as that of Adolf Busch and Rudolf Serkin. Their discography is large, but their playing never more distinguished than here, each artist matching the inspiration of the other bar for bar. How wonderful it is to have such characterful soloists of equal standing in happy communion.

Fortunately, the Columbia recordings were sensitively engineered, with Francescatti not overly to the fore as is too often the case in violin recordings. Landmark recordings that sound as fresh today as they did over 60 years ago – in short, wonderful.

Incidentally, the striking cover photo of Francescatti and Casadesus is credited to Aubert, Philips. There are fine liner notes by Henry-Jacques on the left interior panel of the gatefold jacket, printed in French only. On the right interior panel are printed full-color reproductions of other titles from the Tresor Classiques catalog. Also included with this copy is the original plastic slipcase cover (a bit worn.