In making comparisons here one soon discovers that the Brainin/Schidlof coupling on Chandos enjoys the inestimable advantage of superlati ve recording, made in the ideal ambience of St Barnabas Church in London with a perfectly-judged balance. Soloists and orchestra are caught with vivid realism, orchestral textures are clear yet full-bodied. The Brown/Suk CD on Argo is also extremely fine, but has a less suitable coupling, and the other DG disc by Kremer and Kashkashian is good too, but offers a much less individual performance of the main work. On performance grounds the Perlman/Zukerman disc reigns supreme. I greatly enjoyed the Brainin/Schidlof music-making too (and Gibson is a very sympathetic accompaniest) but their expressive fervour does add a hint of Romanticism and the use of tenutos in the phrasing sometimes seems a shade indulgent. Robin Golding thought the ''impassioned and deeply-felt account of the central Andante . . . outstanding''. I agree; one cannot fail to respond to the warmth, especially when the lovely Chandos recording provides such luxuriant solo images. But on the bows of Perlman and Zukerman this inspired movement has a serenity and spiritual beauty which are very touching. Mehta, too, is obviously caught up in the feel of the performance and creates an almost ethereal sound with his first violins. At the end of the Andante the transformation of mood, with the joyful 'whoopsing' rhythms of the finale (which has more character here than with the Chandos performers) is wonderfully infectious.
The Perlman/Zukerman Sinfonia Concertante was recorded live at the 1982 Huberman Festival, and considering this, the recording is excellent. It sounds extremely well on LP (though more like an analogue master, for orchestral textures are not always sharply focused) but the extra definition of the CD shows that the microphones were just a shade too close to the soloists, and while their imagery is very real, there is a fractional loss of bloom. This is demonstrated readily when one moves on to the Concertone, not a masterpiece, perhaps, but the ideal coupling when played so persuasively, with a particularly fine oboe contribution from Chaim Jouval. The DG studio recording of Kremer/Kashkashian is that bit better naturally caught. The Chandos performance of the Concertone is an excellent one too, and there is a first-rate oboist in Neil Black. Turning back to the Argo, RG found the Brown/Suk version of the Andante of the Sinfonia Concertante ''almost reserved'' and indeed it is cooler than either of the other main protagonists, but still very sensitive and musical. With Perlman and Zukerman the Andante is the highlight of a performance which is made the more striking by the contrast of solo timbres, with Zukerman's viola firmly dark-toned by comparison with Perlman's silvery upper tessitura.
Incidentally, the audience is incredibly silent during the music-making, but perhaps this is understandable when the degree of rapt involvement is so strongly communicated.'