Arthur Grumiaux's Mono Recordings/Decca

[Lance]

Mega-boxes keep coming (thankfully). Here's your chance to get some of this great violinist's early repertoire, some of the most elegant violin playing you will ever hear:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com ... SX355_.jpg
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com ... SY355_.jpg

Gradually, Decca is issuing boxed sets of Philips' older material. I can't think of any recording by this violinist that I never liked! 14 CDs in all. Philips and Decca did release some of this material in other Grumiaux editions, but here, you have all the mono is one box.

So, all we need is more time ... another 70 or so years to enjoy it all. Won't happen, though! Go for it Brian!

[maestrob]

HI, Lance! Yes, that looks like a winner! Does your discovery have any duplication with the set pictured above? I can't make sense of the track listings on amazon. Grumiaux was one of the most refined violinists of the last century, but the asking price on amazon for the set you displayed is a bit steep!

[Lance]

I have that one you pictured, and, without checking, I would say there is some duplication. The new set has the famous Mozart violin sonatas (again!) with Clara Haskil. You might also check Amazon UK for this set. I felt Amazon USA was higher priced.

[maestrob]

Looking around, I couldn't find the Decca set on MDT, but they have the 10 CD set above available for about $14.

[Lance]

I only get these Membran sets on occasion. They are fascinating, but everything is transferred from LPs (or perhaps previously issued CDs). Given that Decca looks like they are releasing most—f not all—of Grumiaux's Philips recordings, I prefer to go that route. The $14 for the Membran, however, is attractive and, no doubt, people will be acquiring this simply because of the price. On Membran, I havd recently acquired Gioconda de Vito's 10-CD set and Georg Kulenkampf's. Most of the latter violinist's material is taken from 78s as I recall. I suspect their CD version will be more than adequate for sound quality.

The new Grumiaux set arrived a couple days ago and I'll check to see how much duplication there is amongst other Decca or Philips CD reissues and report my findings here.

Looking around, I couldn't find the Decca set on MDT, but they have the 10 CD set above available for about $14.

[Lance]

These are Grumiaux's MONO recordings from the new Decca 14-CD boxed set 482.8399:

Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61 w/Beinum
*JS Bach: Violin Concerto in a BWV 1041 w/L. Guller
*JS Bach: Violin Concerto in E BWV 1047 w/L. Guller
#Mozart: Violin Concertos 1 thru 5 w/Paumgartner
Mozart: Violin Concerto in D K271a/i w/Paumgartner
#Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in e Op 64 w/R. Moralt
#Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 4 in d w/F. Gallini
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Op 35 w/B. Leskovic
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 ing, Op. 26 w/B-Leskovic
#Lalo: Symphonie spagnole in d Op 21 w/J. Fournet
#Chausson: Poeme, Op. 25 w/J. Fournet
#Ravel: Tzigane w/J-Fournet
Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3 in b, op 61 w/J. Fournet
#Saint-Saens: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 w/J. Fournet
#Saint-Saens: Havanaise, Op. 83 w/J. Fournet
Mozart: Violin Sonata in B-flat, K454 w/Clara Haskil
Mozart: Violin Sonata in A K526 w/Clara Haskil
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 1-10 w/Clara Haskil
Schubert: Sonatinas in D, a, and g Op. Posth. 137/1,2,3, w/R. Castagnone
Schubert Sonata (Duo) in A Op. Posth 162 w/Riccardo Castagnone
#Debussy: Violin Sonata w/Riccardo Castagnone
#Lekeu: Violin Sonata in G w/Riccardo Castagnone
#Paganini: I Palpiti, Op. 13 w/Riccardo Castagnone
#Paganini: Le Streghe, Op. 8 w/Riccardo Castagnone
Tartini: Violin Sonata in g (Arr. Kreisler) {Devil's Trill} w/Riccardo Castagnone
Corelli: Sonata in d, Op 5/12 {La Follia} (Arr. Castagnone) w/Riccardo Castagnone
Vitali: Chaconne (Arr. Grumiaux) w/Riccardo Castagnone
Veracini: Sonata in A, Op. 1/7 (Arr. Castagnone) w/Riccardo Castagnone
Kreisler: 5 pieces w/Riccardo Castagnone

MONO Recordings included in Decca 5-CD boxed set, Philips 473.104 marked #. Whatever is left in this boxed set is stereophonic.

MONO recordings included in Decca 6-CD boxed set, Philips 475.7825 marked *. The rest of the recordings in this set are all stereophonic.

The Mozart and Beethoven violin sonatas all appear in Clara Haskil boxed editions on both the Philips and Decca labels. And Australian Decca Eloquence has reissued many other recordings of Grumiaux. So, to answer the question, YES, among all of Grumiaux's discs, there seems to be lots of issues and reissues on much of his recorded repertoire.

There is one more set that I have on Philips [438.516, 3 CDs] that I have had for years entitled "The Early Recordings," all with pianist Riccardo Castagnone. All of those mono recordings are included in the new 14-CD boxed set.

So, is the new 14-CD boxed set worth acquiring? Yes, I think it is unless you have all these other issues. Then you can dispose of what you have in duplicate or triplicate via Amazon ... or somewhere. I hope this helps.

[maestrob]

Thank-you, Lance for all your research! Wow! That is helpful. This set looks really complete, and I've placed it on my want list for now. I hope it'll be around for about 2 months: I definitely want it, right next to the Heifetz and Oistrakh sets on my shelf.