It would, I think, be foolish to assume that what we have here is completely representative of what the violinist achieved earlier in his career, at least on technical grounds. His entrance in the first movement in this performance is a bit precarious, as are some other passages. But his tone is often attractive and his grasp of structure and line exemplary. Even more to the point, he doesn’t drool over the music’s soaring lyricism, projecting its rich melodic lines with a simplicity and directness that heightens their expressivity while providing total integration into the larger design. Yet, many passages of barely perceptible rubato help to underscore the ethos of the moment. And note how Busch, unlike many of today’s soloist’s, makes the most of those two quick pizzicatos that so pointedly complement the prevailing good humor of the work’s finale. In that finale, conductor Busch gives the ritornello a power and shape rarely encountered. All three cadenzas (the last two appropriately brief) are by the soloist. Aside from congestion in the loudest orchestral passages, the sound is quite good, especially in its almost total freedom from surface scratch and hiss.

The other items featured on this release, although not lacking virtues, are far less interesting. The Bach offers some highly expressive and musical playing. But judged in the light of what is now known of 18th-century performance practice, it seems rather labored and old-fashioned. And for all of the violinist’s fine work in the two Beethoven Romances, they still remain minor pieces among the composer’s output. However, for anyone who wants to discover why Adolf Busch was once considered one of the last century’s great violinists, this is a resurrection not to be ignored.

FANFARE: Mortimer H. Frank