‘It is said that fewer people learn to play the violin today than a few years ago‚’ claims András Batta in his booklet note. The possible reason? Subtleties of ‘choreographic finger movements’ are swamped beneath the cruder charms of the ‘musical­acoustical world’ and‚ dare I say‚ computer­generated composition. The points are worth making in the context of the present programme where Antal Szalai‚ a pupil of Péter Kolmós (leader of the Bartók Quartet)‚ offers tonally strong performances‚ always polished and entirely lacking in gimmickry or affectation. Szalai’s sound is pleasingly full bodied‚ his vibrato intense but unobtrusive‚ his double­stops evenly gauged and his bowing mostly immaculate. Needless to say‚ Bach’s spirit is everywhere. Szalai opens his programme with a patient and warm­hearted account of the D minor Partita where the crowning Chaconne takes 15'24" to unfold‚ a good overall timing‚ unhurried but mobile enough to avoid sluggishness. Emil Petrovics’ First Rhapsody is an ingenious study in aural perspectives that opens like a ticking clock and ends – as violin rhapsodies usually do – with faster‚ folk­like material. Kreisler’s comparatively unfamiliar Recitativo and scherzo­caprice is brilliant without being showy‚ and a fine example of Szalai’s richness on the lower strings. YsaØe’s Sonata‚ the one dedicated to Enescu‚ is deeply expressive music but technically very demanding‚ a minefield of potential disaster when it comes to intonation which Szalai surveys with considerable skill and accuracy. The close­miked recording captures the full lustre of his tone. Many lesser players would have us suffer a repertoire of off­bow noises‚ but not Szalai‚ whose smooth delivery never precludes a rare level of musicianship. This is one of the two or three finest new violin CDs I’ve heard this year and I urge you to try it.