Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Franz Peter Schubert
Performer: Eugene Istomin, Leonard Rose, Isaac Stern, Cho-Liang Lin, Michael Tree, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma
Orchestra: Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Sony
Catalogue: 88697561582
Release: 2014
Size: 359 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, D898
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Andante un poco mosso
03. III. Scherzo. Allegro
04. IV. Rondo. Allegro vivace – Presto
Brahms: String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111
05. I. Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
06. II. Adagio
07. III. Un poco allegretto
08. IV. Vivace ma non troppo presto
Bach: Violin Partita No. 1 in B Minor, BWV 1002
09. V. Sarabande – VI. Double
10. Mozart: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in C, K373
Isaac Stern’s influence will linger with violinists for many years, and his recorded legacy will endure as Sony finds new ways to repackage his extraordinary body of work. This Masterworks Expanded Edition consists of analog and digital recordings made between 1964 and 1996; except for the bonus track, this 2004 reissue corresponds to the second disc in the 2002 set, “In Tribute and Celebration.” Schubert’s Piano Trio in B flat major, which Stern performs brilliantly with cellist Leonard Rose and pianist Eugene Istomin, is the oldest recording here, but it is more enjoyable than it was on LP because the sound has been substantially improved through careful remastering. Brahms’ String Quintet No. 2 in G major fares less well in the remixing. Stern, violinist Cho-Liang Lin, violists Michael Tree and Jaime Laredo, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are passionate and vigorous, but hot sound levels make the recording a bit too forward and abrasive. The Sarabande and Double from Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B minor is a fine example of Stern’s expressive solo playing, but all too brief as a filler piece. Mozart’s Rondo in C major, K. 373, rounds out the album, and Stern leads the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra in a buoyant performance with natural sound.