Review: Decca's Grumiaux Edition, Fixed and Fabulous

[@fred6904]

Dear Mr Hurwitz! I would like to thank you so very much for making this talk about the recordings of Mr Grumiaux. I now know that I have to own it. Best wishes Fred.

[@grahameskell1995]

Dear David, Your efforts on behalf of purchasers of this faulty new Grumiaux edition are nothing short of Herculean and hugely philanthropic . Well done! I am the proud owner of the original 78-disc Philips Complete Edition in its two handsome boxes. Is there really any point at all in replacing it with this new one? Are there any genuine sonic improvements and actual evidence of remastering, as some suggest? Clearly, there is a nice big book to go with it, and it would surely occupy far less shelf space (no small issue). Clearly, I don't have a problem with disc 45. Still, it's great that Decca have awarded Grumiaux this immense tribute. Sadly, I never heard him live, but he remains in the pantheon of great violinists for me, since there is an exquisite sensibility at work here, and you are quite right in saying that many of his performances remain benchmarks after all these years. There is nothing vulgar or showy whatsoever in his performances, and he frequently exhibits an extraordinary inwardness characterised by an almost whispered breathing quality that is completely unique to him. Truly great playing. Please advise.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

If you have the first set, there's no need to get this one, in my opinion.

[@fmrtao56]

Nice review. Corelli sonatas indeed are wonderful. Eduard Melkus released a Corelli set at about the same time as AG I think, on DGG Archiv. Also marvellous. They are now very difficult to find. But Melkus is much ignored or disliked in many quarters. I know not why. IMHO most of what he did is marvellous. He is still alive and kicking as at the date of this post**. I wrote about him in Gramophone, and there followed a piece by Tolly. Thanks for mentioning the Telemann sonatas. They are outstanding and very much neglected. Grumiaux plays them beautifully. This whole set is a joy to behold and to explore. “You just hear the music.” I totally agree. Grumiaux is entirely about the music. He is merely the conduit. But what a conduit. Utterly outstanding. **His Biber mystery sonatas are the best. And that Passacaglia for solo violin. It’s almost the equal of Bach’s Chaconne.

[@carlcurtis]

Great review. Happily, I got my hands on the Grimiaux Mozart recordings from Decca--19 cds--on Ebay. Around $50.

[@DMR57]

Just stumbled upon this great review. Would love to buy this but just 3 months later I can't find it anywhere! Well, a few used boxes. Is this box going to be reissued with the corrected disc? Will have to pay close attention so I don't miss it again. Love this channel!

[@johnmontanari6857]

The Stravinsky Concerto is out of this world! I've never heard it played with such a combination of lethal accuracy and tonal beauty.

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

Give the DG Schneiderhan/Berliner Philharmoniker, Ancerl a go, too!

[@johnmontanari6857]

@@jensguldalrasmussen6446 Will do. It's on my streaming system, fortunately.

[@johnmontanari6857]

Splendid! Schneiderhan's tone is leaner and more astringent than Grumiaux's -- whose isn't? -- and very appropriate for the piece. Ančerl is, of course, fabulous in this repertoire. Thanks for the tip!

[@johnmontanari6857]

P.S. It has not escaped my attention that this is a collaboration of a Nazi Party member and an Auschwitz survivor. What fraught times they were.

[@MrNathan2011]

Grumiaux's Bach Sonatas and Partitas is rightfully the reference interpretation for those works

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

One of several.

[@paulmacdowell4010]

Hi David,This morning I received an email from Decca informing me that the replacrment disc is on its way after covid related delays. Thank you for posting the contact info.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Thanks for the info!

[@markmiller3713]

I WISH he would have recorded the Paganini Caprices; I think that would have been incredible to hear.

[@bendingcaesar65]

This set seems to already be out of stock on Amazon. Decca doesn't respond either to email, or Facebook queries. Does anyone know if it's gone for good, or be restocked, hopefully with the corrected disk?

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

"Of course you should get the box, if you want some great violin playing ... Grumiaux was one of the all time great violinists in the history of violinishness..." AMEN to that! I can only add: do hurry up and get it while you can! Lot's of the stuff I knew beforehand, but so far I haven't heard a single disc from the box being bad or of dubious quality! My only quibble so far is the difficultly decipherable text on the spine of the individual cardboard sleeves for the cds, almost illegible due to the font, size and colours chosen for the text. This is even more annoying as the booklet do not contain an overview of the content of the individual cds, one by one - but only the register based on composers, that David refers to in his video. PS. Thank you, David, for sharing the information about the duplicated cd 44 and missing cd 45. As Amazon has already answered to my request for a replacement in the most obnoxious way, most likely in breach of EU- regulations for consumer protection, I'm now glad to have an address to directly contact Decca to sort the thing out!

[@indranilpoddar7195]

Oh David you have outdone yourself in this one. Sheer delight...I am tempted to say...”oh the glee, oh the glee”...with titbits about Messrs Leppard and Klien as well as the long overture before you dug in. The suicidal program of solo Bach was hilarious but I definitely can empathise. Personally I can sit through the cello suites gladly not so much the violin s and p. Well...Thank you so much. Any thoughts on a complete Viotti set? God bless...

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

The violin concertos--all 29 of them--have been done, on the Dynamic label, and quite well too.

[@pandoraefretum]

Fabulous clip, Sir. Especially as I now know where to get my replacement CD for the Beethoven Violin Concerto. You talk with authority about the Franco-Belgian school. Thank you for the enthusiasm ; I am also an AG fan. ps. I do play and listen to lots of solo Bach, but I am no more psychotic than you.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Well, I play the solo violin sonatas and partitas too, but in Anna Magdalena's transcription for tam-tam. I find it less aurally fatiguing than the original.

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

I imagine we could make the most wonderful duo if I joined you on the recorder - Ah, The Sweet Sound of Musicke! 🎶🎶 🤯😁

[@detectivehome3318]

One of your best videos

[@judsonmusick3177]

Dave, I have narrowed down the selection of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin to three choices - Grumiaux, Milstein, and Perlman. I can only afford one. Which of these three recordings would you choose?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Pick the violinist your like best generally, or check out reviews on ClassicsToday.com for some suggestions. It's an impossible choice.

[@ozoz9582]

I can’t wait to get this!!

[@CortJohnson]

Unfortunately a year plus later, box is already gone. Lesson learned…

[@marccikes3429]

In addition to the already mentioned duplication, some people report that discs 39 and 40 are duplicated. Do you have the same problem too ?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

No.

[@cristianoneto1563]

Hi David! Could you clarify for me which sonatas and partitas did Milstein remade, please? The ones available on DG's legendary originals series? I always have trouble with the amout of this stuff. Many thanks. Love Grumiaux's by the way. (Edit): Thank you all for the useful answers. Amazing comment section :)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

He did them for EMI originally. The DG set is the remake.

[@pandoraefretum]

Milstein recorded the complete Solo Bach twice. He himself preferred his second recording made for DG in his 60s. You can get it on SaCD from Japan.

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

Or you can get it cheaply in the box 'Nathan Milstein: Complete Recordings on DG"

[@markstenroos6732]

I’m not happy with the decision to use those gatefold sleeves that house 3-4 CDs in this set. The middle discs in these sleeves are almost impossible to remove, and even if you can remove them you end up having to grab the playing side with your fingers. Most labels have gone away from these sleeves, or at least gone to a sleeve that allows each CD to be extracted individually from a slot at the top of the sleeve, rather than having to remove them sideways. If doesn’t help that the interior of the sleeves is very tight - not much space outside the diameter of the CD. It’s almost like the set was designed to sit on the shelf, unplayed, rather than making it easy to explore the contents therein. There are so many better options out there these days, so why? BTW - So far, I’ve listened to CD 1 (BWV 1001-3) and CD 66 (Franck and Grieg Third Sonatas) and the sound matches the spectacular and beautiful playing.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Decca box looks like Mecca, which is fine as I worship Grumiaux.

[@ozoz9582]

I have the Menuhin mega-box “Le Siecle de Menuhin” - any comparative thoughts on that?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I prefer Grumiaux.

[@ozoz9582]

@@DavesClassicalGuide thank you sir for these talks - I have learned sooooo much from you!

[@Bezart34]

@@ozoz9582 Same goes for me. Another brilliant talk.

[@kevinw.1934]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone received the replacement disc 45? I received a form e-mail promising a "corrected CD" within 14 days on May 15. Since then, the sounds of silence.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I haven't, and Decca is not responding.

[@kevinw.1934]

@@DavesClassicalGuide Thanks, David, not that surprising, alas. On the plus side, I did receive a replacement copy of the Ormandy disc 103 yesterday. Well done Ines Kindlmann, whomever she may be. Thank you for bringing these issues to the attention of the community here; I likely would have identified the problem with the Grumiaux box, but the Ormandy might have taken a while. Quite a while. So much music, so little time.

[@kevinw.1934]

To my considerable surprise, an e-mail confirming imminent shipment arrived today (July 9) above the signature of "The Team at Decca". I had given up hope.

[@kevinw.1934]

And to my considerably greater surprise, the replacement disc actually made an appearance in my mailbox today (January 21, 2022). Better late than never, at least for those who haven't passed on in the interim.

[@amyzoltick5998]

Is this set still available? tried at several sites including AMAZON

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Should be. Try Presto Classical.

[@jerelzoltick5185]

I could not find the Grumiaux Box on Presto ? or anywhere else- wonder if they were returned due to the error for disc 45?? I find your videos terrific - you knowledge is exemplary. I know you are opinionated - and I love it... I mostly agree with you. You are funny and make my evenings enjoyable especially when I am on the treadmill.... I never appreciated Ancerl until I listened to your comments. S I am spending a lot of extra money on CDs (my collection is quit large > 10,000 CDs... I have a huge opera collection But i also have large collection of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Mahler, Shostakovich etc I was fortunate to have lived in NYC in the late 60s and 70s - to have gone to a number of concerts and opera performances at the Met and NYCO (i was physician at both opera houses in my early years). When I was a Med Student at Columbia - I uses to study at the Met ( student tickets at that time were only 5 dollars - I think I saw Vickers do Peter Grimes 4 times in 2 weeks - I was so mesmerized ).. Keep it up - I adore your videos Jerel Zoltick

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

@@jerelzoltick5185 Thank you very much. As you can see, I need to start making them on a treadmill!

[@iraeich]

Anything Grumiaux and Clara Haskil is close to if not definitive. I know there has been a lot of recordings of the Beethoven, but to me, nothing touches Grumiaux/Haskil. They're together on a series of Mozart sonatas, and they're as good as it gets too. I know David isn't the biggest Bach fan but Grumiaux playing the Chaconne is very close to leaving this planet and going to a better one.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Whether I am a "fan" of Bach or not hardly diminishes my enthusiasm for Grumiaux's performances.

[@DanIspas]

Anyone having luck with the replacement disks? I got no replies on email, Facebook or Twitter?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Someone just commented that they received theirs.

[@DanIspas]

@@DavesClassicalGuide I can’t even get them to reply to me

[@angusmcmillan8981]

Another humdinger from you, many thanks. A small point, but... I sang for Raymond Leppard in 1966-7, his last two years as a don at Cambridge (UK). He was actually quite feline and I guess wouldn’t have minded being compared to the big cat, but he was invariably pronounced LEppaarrd, with first syllable stressed and the second with a long A (as in hard) so not quite the same as the sub-Saharan animal. In all the years since then I’ve never heard him pronounced differently.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Oh, we never cared how he did it. I was talking about how everyone speculated on how to do it and the two main schools of thought on the question. I once heard him say it as well, and I must say my way sounds so much better.

[@judsonmusick3177]

Dave, you praised highly Grumiaux's rendition of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. You also praised Milstein's rendition. There are so many recordings of these works; are you going to evaluate them any time soon? If not, can you recommend the one set of the Sonatas and Partitas if "you're having only one"? BTW, good work on helping to straighten out the Grumiaux Edition snafu.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I'm not doing it anytime soon. There are too many good version from just about everyone.