Best known as the founder and leader of the legendary
Amadeus Quartet, violinist
Norbert Brainin did not retire in 1987 when the group disbanded, but continued performing as a soloist right up until his death in 2005. All one can say is -- thank heaven.
Brainin was not just a fine player with a polished technique and a winning way with phrasing, he was also a consummate musician and it would have been a shame if he had left the stage and the studio after his band broke up. These recordings of
Brainin with pianist Günter Ludwig performing Beethoven's complete sonatas for violin and piano are taken from performances given in Frankfurt am Main in 1989 -- and they are as lovely a set of the sonatas as one could want. Never a showoff virtuoso,
Brainin is a gracious and ingratiating violinist who grasps the wit and warmth of the music and expresses it with deep affection. While some listeners may miss the fireworks of the Kreutzer Sonata, even they will have to admit these mostly early works sound wonderfully fresh and youthful in
Brainin and Ludwig's interpretations. While not the first or the only recordings of the works one should hear, anyone who loves the music and enjoys the artistry of the
Amadeus Quartet will enjoy these performances. Preiser's sound is clear and warm.