Magnificent performances from the great Arthur Grumiaux of three thrilling sonatas for violin and piano. The Tartini is often sought after and not easily available. The Franck recording is something of a ‘benchmark’ performance and a true rarity making an appearance in the form of the almost swooningly lush Lekeu sonata, from a composer whose death, at the age of 24, deprived us of one of music’s greatest would-be talents. It is cast very much in the vein of the Franck.
GIUSEPPE TARTINI arr. Fritz Kreisler
Sonata in G minor for Violin & Piano, Op. 1 No. 4 ‘The Devil’s Trill’
CÉSAR FRANCK
Sonata in A major for Violin & Piano
GUILLAUME LEKEU
Sonata in G major for Violin & Piano
Arthur Grumiaux, violin
György Sebok, piano [1]
Riccardo Castagnone, piano [3]
Recording dates: December 1955, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Lekeu); July 1958, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Tartini); November 1977 (Franck)