Kreisler has been a hero to Shumsky, as to very many other violinists, for all his life. This record is the first of several projected to cover, mostly, the shorter piano-accompanied pieces. It is subtitled '''Viennese' and 'In the style of'''; it is possible to question the grammar of this, but not the desirability of having available such good versions of such enchanting pieces as these are.
For Shumsky does indeed play them splendidly, and is similarly partnered by Milton Kaye. If in places the 'Viennese' may be thought to be not quite so easy-going as that city traditionally suggests, then it is only on the marging. Curiously, a similar small doubt arises in the 'In the style of', where sometimes—only that—perhaps the playing is, by contrast, rather too romantic. Too much should not be read into either observation; it is only in comparison with a few very distinguished predecessors in the field (Schlomo Mintz, say) that it would be sensible to pursue the matter.
In addition to the well-known pieces, Shumsky includes two rarities. One is a straightforward (to hear, not to play!) version of Haydn's famous tune for the Austrian Imperial Hymn, no doubt written (or perhaps originally extemporized) by Kreisler for some special occasion. The other is the relatively lengthy Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta, which explores those lovable tunes in rather richer harmony than Kreisler allowed himself in the shorter pieces. The cumbersome title was presumably approved by Kreisler himself, who recorded the piece, under that title, in the days of 78s.
I have never heard that older record, but would very safely hazard a guess that whatever the quality of playing (Kreisler was orchestrally accompanied) the quality of recorded sound was not that of the new issue, among the best of today's. Shumsky himself writes very interestingly in a note on the sleeve, which also finds room for an informative note by Douglas Townsend.'