Schneiderhan - The 1950s Concerto Recordings (5 CD box set) (2005)

CD1
1. Concerto for Violin and Strings in E, Op.8, No.1, R.269 "La Primavera"
 - 1. Allegro 	3:17 
2. Concerto for Violin and Strings in E, Op.8, No.1, R.269 "La Primavera"
 - 2. Largo 	2:19 
3. Concerto for Violin and Strings in E, Op.8, No.1, R.269 "La Primavera"
 - 3. Allegro (Danza pastorale) 	3:52 
4. Concerto for Violin and Strings in G minor, Op.8, No.2, R.315 "L'estate"
 - 1. Allegro non molto - Allegro 	5:03 
5. Concerto for Violin and Strings in G minor, Op.8, No.2, R.315 "L'estate"
 - 2. Adagio - Presto - Adagio 	2:06 
6. Concerto for Violin and Strings in G minor, Op.8, No.2, R.315 "L'estate"
 - 3. Presto (Tempo impetuoso d'estate) 	2:35
7. Concerto for Violin and Strings in F, Op.8, No.3, R.293 "L'autunno"
 - 1. Allegro (Ballo, e canto de' villanelli) 	4:17 
8. Concerto for Violin and Strings in F, Op.8, No.3, R.293 "L'autunno"
 - 2. Adagio molto (Ubriachi dormienti) 	2:17
9. Concerto for Violin and Strings in F, Op.8, No.3, R.293 "L'autunno"
 - 3. Allegro (La caccia) 	3:16 
10. Concerto for Violin and Strings in F minor, Op.8, No.4, R.297 "L'inverno"
 - 1. Allegro non molto 	3:27
11. Concerto for Violin and Strings in F minor, Op.8, No.4, R.297 "L'inverno"
 - 2. Largo 	1:48 	
12. Concerto for Violin and Strings in F minor, Op.8, No.4, R.297 "L'inverno"
 - 3. Allegro 	2:54 
13. 12 Concertos, Op.3 - "L'estro armonico" / Concerto No.11 in D minor
 for 2 violins and cello - Allegro-Adagio spiccato e tutti-Allegro 	4:34
14. 12 Concertos, Op.3 - "L'estro armonico" / Concerto No.11 in D minor
 for 2 violins and cello - Largo e Spiccato 	3:33 
15. 12 Concertos, Op.3 - "L'estro armonico" / Concerto No.11 in D minor
 for 2 violins and cello - Allegro 	2:39
16. Violin Concerto in D minor, D.45 - revised by R. Baumgartner
 - 1. Allegro 	5:34 
17. Violin Concerto in D minor, D.45 - revised by R. Baumgartner
 - 2. Grave 	4:19
18. Violin Concerto in D minor, D.45 - revised by R. Baumgartner
 - 3. Presto 	3:02

CD2
1. Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, BWV 1041 - 1. (Allegro moderato) 	4:04 	
2. Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, BWV 1041 - 2. Andante 	5:30
3. Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, BWV 1041 - 3. Allegro assai 	3:59 	
4. Violin Concerto No.2 in E, BWV 1042 - 1. Allegro 	8:38 
5. Violin Concerto No.2 in E, BWV 1042 - 2. Adagio 	6:59 
6. Violin Concerto No.2 in E, BWV 1042 - 3. Allegro assai 	2:58 
7. Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor, BWV 1043
 - 1. Vivace 	4:05 
8. Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor, BWV 1043
 - 2. Largo ma non tanto 	7:06 
9. Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor, BWV 1043
 - 3. Allegro 	5:37
10. Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - 1. Allemande 	4:23 	
11. Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - 2. Corrente 	3:23 
12. Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - 3. Sarabande 	3:46 
13. Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - 4. Giga 	4:06 	
14. Partita for Violin Solo No.2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - 5. Ciaccona 	14:52

CD3
1. Violin Concerto in D, Op.61 - Cadenzas by Joseph Joachim
 - 1. Allegro ma non troppo 	24:49 
2. Violin Concerto in D, Op.61 - 2. Larghetto - 	11:34 
3. Violin Concerto in D, Op.61 - Cadenzas by Joseph Joachim
 - 3. Allegro 	10:34 
4. Violin Concerto No.5 in A, K.219 - Cadenza: Joseph Joachim
 - 1. Allegro aperto - Adagio - Allegro aperto 	9:31
5. Violin Concerto No.5 in A, K.219 - Cadenza: Joseph Joachim
 - 2. Adagio 	9:30 	
6. Violin Concerto No.5 in A, K.219 - 3. Rondeau (Tempo di minuetto) 	8:53

CD4
1. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 - 1. Allegro molto appassionato 	12:44 
2. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 - 2. Andante 	8:13 
3. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 - 3. Allegro non troppo
 - Allegro molto vivace 	6:29 
4. Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26 - 1. Vorspiel (Allegro moderato) 	7:46
5. Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26 - 2. Adagio 	8:41 
6. Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.26 - 3. Finale (Allegro energico) 	6:39 
7. Violin Concerto No.4 in D, K.218 - Cadenza by Wolfgang Schneiderhan
 - 1. Allegro 	8:54 
8. Violin Concerto No.4 in D, K.218 - Cadenza by Wolfgang Schneiderhan
 - 2. Andante cantabile 	6:11 
9. Violin Concerto No.4 in D, K.218 - Cadenza by Wolfgang Schneiderhan
 - 3. Rondeau. Andante grazioso - Allegro ma non troppo 	7:13

CD5
1. Violin Concerto in D, Op.77 - Cadenza: Winkler - 1. Allegro non troppo 	22:19 	
2. Violin Concerto in D, Op.77 - 2. Adagio 	9:08 
3. Violin Concerto in D, Op.77 - 3. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace
 - Poco più presto 	8:02 
4. Violin Concerto - 1. Allegro tranquilo 	13:52 
5. Violin Concerto - 2. Andante molto moderato 	8:51 
6. Violin Concerto - 3. Presto 	7:11

Wolfgang Schneiderhan – violin
Rudolf Baumgartner – violin
Claude Starck - cello
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Lucerne Festival Strings,
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, 
Bamberg Symphony Chorus
Ernest Ansermet, Rudolf Baumgartner, Ferenc Fricsay, Paul van Kempen,
Ferdinand Leitner, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt - conductor

The most recent batch of DG's "Original Masters" box sets boasts several titles that will leave classical collectors rejoicing, "Wolfgang Schneiderhan: The 1950s Concerto Recordings" foremost among them. This 5CD set features the then Deutsche Grammophon "house fiddler" in brilliant performances of Vivaldi, Tartini, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, Mozart, Mendelssohn and Martin Violin Concertos. In some of my previous reviews of box sets in the OM series, I have been critical of what the powers that be at UNI have done in terms of their selection of material, but here they got it almost perfect. Instead of duplicating a title in DG's "Originals" series that couples Schneiderhan's stereo recordings of the Beethoven VC and Mozart No. 5, they reissue his earlier, and better, mono accounts here.

By contrast, they reissue the violinist's stereo performance of Mozart's 4th Concerto (1960 with Schmidt-Isserstedt) on this set because his 1956 mono account had already been included in the Hans Rosbaud title in this series. (Thankfully, the duplication lesson seemingly has been learned after they put the very same Dvorak Cello Concerto recording on both the Josef Krips and Zara Nelsova OM boxes!) Also of note here are a magical Mendelssohn VC with Fricsay, brilliant Bach 1041-1043s and an invigorating Four Seasons, the set's only other stereo selection along with the Mozart VC4. This set alas has one minor problem in my opinion. Because DG and Decca are now all part of Universal, Schneiderhan's performance of the Martin Concerto with Ansermet, originally made for Decca and currently available on a "Double Decca" title devoted to the composer, is included here. It is unnecessary duplication for me but others may not care. Personally I would have nixed the Bach Partita included on CD2 (hello, the title is "Concerto Recordings") and the Martin to make this a tidier four disc set. But even as is, "Wolfgang Schneiderhan: The 1950s Concerto Recordings" is one of the true gems in the "Original Masters" series. --- Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA)

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