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For many listeners, Henryk Szeryng would be the No. 1 choice for a recording of the Brahms Violin Concerto. His interpretation is technically flawless, emotionally involved, and deeply probing; it makes Jascha Heifetz, for example, sound slightly offhand. In this French-made video from 1962, the Paris Conservatoire is not the best possible orchestra, but it is more than adequate and Paul Paray is an excellent conductor. The Brahms leads off and highlights an unusually generous selection encompassing the full range of Szeryng's art. There are technically demanding works such as Ravel's "Tzigane," the fugue from Bach's unaccompanied Sonata No. 1, and Locatelli's "Harmonic Labyrinth," ethnic explorations such as Bartok's "Romanian Folk Dances" and Brahms's "Hungarian Dance No. 17," and charming novelties such as Debussy's waltz "La Plus que Lente," Suk's "Love Song," and Novacek's "Perpetuum Mobile," with selections by Mozart and Fritz Kreisler added as a bonus. This is a very thorough, well-rounded survey of a great artist's legacy. --Joe McLellan
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