A few people on another form confirm that there's have the noise, I also heard the noise on samples that are on Spotify and YouTube.
I have never listened to any Ashy Beethoven but somehow have the feeling he may not be that good with Beethoven ...
The earlier individual discs were received quite well here at the time, but the enthusiasm waned as the cycle went on. I still have the Decca set, but never listen to it; I'm not going to sell it, though.
We all have a few duds in our collection and I am no exception. I have never sold any recordings I do not like. Perhaps one day, I could change my mind ...
Lots of magnificent historical recordings of Brahms' Violin Concerto, Perlman/Giulini remains one of my favorites for a modern recording.
I think Oistrakh/Szell is my favorite from the tape era. Really there is nothing at all bad to say about Perlman except he is maybe a bit too technically perfect/modern for Brahms and Oistrakh's portamento is a bit more romantic that suits Brahms (or more accurately what I like). That's what I like about a lot of those older violinists when it comes to Brahms.
IIRC, I saw Robert Silverman mentioned yesterday or earlier. I have had the following freebie for twenty some years. The recording does not do anything for me ...
I bet I would enjoy that Oistrakh/Szell, as I am admirers of both of them. Back when I realized I didn't own this work by anyone, I did some reading in my guidebooks and asked some friends. This is the recording I ended up with. Haven't heard it in a long time, but due to your prompt, I just put it on.
Tsk, tsk . . . I haven't really made comparisons yet. Not sure I can extract performance/interpretation from production/sound quality, so as always in this thread, please adjust your grain of salt accordingly. From someone who only several years ago had a couple discs of the warhorse sonatas, I now own close to ten complete cycles! It's hard to decline the deals being offered on eBay. $15 shipped? Okay. $10 shipped? Even better! So my choice so far for performance? Serkin/Columbia Sony . . . not complete, though. And here I run into the "problem" of first impressions being forever the standard. I'm pretty sure my first Beethoven LP forty years ago was a double record sampler featuring, among other Columbia performers, Serkin's take on the sonatas. So his always sound "right" to my ears . . . Sonics? Jando/Naxos. My system really likes this cycle. Good percussive "attack" without being too dry.
The Arditti Quartet playing works by Nancarrow, Ligeti, and Dutilleux. Wigmore Hall Live. This is a beautiful recital of works I was not very familiar with before hearing this disc. Now I play it before going to bed and first thing when I get up in the morning.
I have really been pleased with the RCA living stereo hybrid SACDs, so much that I got another one in yesterday. It is the Respighi Fountains/Pines of Rome and Debussy La Mer performed by Chicago under Fritz Reiner.
If you really want to be blown away, listen to an Analogue Productions SACD of this same material. In the opinion of myself and many others the AP discs are superior to the older RCA BMG discs. Unfortunately they are about double the price and don't contain any extra material, just the original albums.
It's been some time since I've heard this (I really like the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on the same SACD), I think it's a fine performance but I personally prefer the Oistrakh and Perlman above for tape era recordings. My two favorites for historical recordings are Ginette Neveu (EMI) and Joseph Szigeti with Halle Orchestra/Hamilton Harty, the latter on Naxos transferred nicely by Mark Obert-Thorn.
Their Schoenberg was the first recording I heard by them and it “clicked” for me. One of the treasures of my collection. They play so clearly and musically. I like the Ligeti on this Wigmore recording but I have not heard their studio one. I know Bartok is not really in their wheelhouse but I wish they had recorded his quartets as well. Apparently the fourth is available. It’s a shame their CDs are mostly out of print and hard to find! I am having a good time sampling things on Spotify though.
Their CD of Studio recordings of the Ligeti string quartet material is superb and well worth picking up. I hope it's still in print.
I'll confess the Brahms vln. cto. is not among my favorite scores by that celebrated composer , so if a recording catches my fancy it's probably something special--for good or ill! For a historical recording, I like the account by Albert Spalding, one of his final recordings from late in life, issued on the US budget label Remington just after WW II. For a modern one, don't overlook Hilary Hahn with Neville Marriner (not usually one of my favorite conductors, but he acquits himself well here).
I have the Heifetz Tchaikovsky Concerto you mentioned on AP SACD and it is one of my favorite discs, probably a top ten classical album for me. For the Brahms Violin Concerto my favorite is a newer recording that I discovered on this very thread, by Vadim Gluzman on BIS SACD.
Oh I’m sure they are great, but like you said they do cost a lot more. Plus I can buy more albums at that price