These are the first two volumes in what will be a three CD conspectus
– available singly – of the first complete LP cycle of the Beethoven
Violin Sonatas. American Decca chose that stalwart musician, Warsaw-born
Artur Balsam as the pianist. He’d already accompanied Milstein
and was to be more famous as Menuhin’s partner, though he partnered
the elite of the string playing profession over the years; Goldberg,
Francescatti and Szigeti among many. The violinist, Joseph
Fuchs, was born in 1899 and was seven years Balsam’s senior. For
much of his career he was known as an important concertmaster,
initially at Cleveland. He was first violinist in the Primrose
Quartet after Shumsky’s departure and formed a well-known duo
with his sister, violist Lillian. They were renowned for their
performance of the Sinfonia Concertante and for inspiring Martinů’s
Three Madrigals.
The Fuchs-Balsam duo combined what sleeve
note writer Tully Potter characterises as ‘virtuoso-conscious
New World taste, along with a touch of Old World graciousness.’
The extent to which one goes along with that statement is
the extent to which one will enjoy the performances. The seven
sonatas enshrined in these two discs share consonant qualities;
instrumental finesse, a good sense of tempo relations, fine
ensemble. The E flat major [No.3] has a gracefully phrased
opening movement and a buoyant finale. Its slow movement is
quite subtly coloured by Fuchs, with some clean and modern
sounding expressive finger position changes. The corollary
is that it can sound rather sleek and for all the adroit musicality
the rather fast vibrato tends to limit optimum colour.
The Spring Sonata shares these qualities.
When I first played it I thought it sounded uncommonly fast
but it’s the nature of the accenting and the quickness of
the rhythmic corners being turned that leads one to think
so. It’s actually a good, well-chosen tempo. Again though,
in the end, one’s pleasure in the athleticism and clear eyed
pragmatism of the performances is slightly vitiated by something
a little too unyielding in Fuchs’s tone. There’s a lack of
real tonal breadth and for all the collegiate association,
that’s a constant of the performance. The A major [No.6] is
polished but emotively a little reserved. Fuchs’s sound, whilst
certainly exciting and vibrant can tend toward the one dimensional
in terms strictly of colour. The result is that the slow movements
in particular can sound a little starved of variety and also
of characterisation. The C minor [No.7] is properly assertive
and theatrical, dynamic and outward looking, but once more
the basic sound is a little tense, and fortes can sound razory
to the point of shrillness.
I can’t comment meaningfully on the quality
of the engineering as I’ve never heard the Deccas from which
these transfers derive. It sounds broadly unproblematic. These
discs constitute two-thirds of a pioneering LP set, which
has long been absent. Its restoration is welcome but recommendation
will depend on the specialisation of one’s tastes.
Jonathan Woolf
Joseph Fuchs
(violin) 
