The Oleg Kagan/Sviatoslav Richter all-Mozart recital, recorded live at Tours in July, 1974, came out on a 1991 EMI budget CD release, minus the G major sonata K. 379. EMI now releases the whole recital in a richer, more present remastering, coupled with the pair s live 1976 Munich Beethoven Op. 23 and Spring Sonatas, which, I believe, are new to CD. Although the Kagan/Richter collaboration was in its relative infancy at the time of the Mozart recordings, the musicians are kindred spirits in their disciplined ensemble and decisive, large-scaled approach to these works. Sometimes in the outer movements Kagan s extroversion veers toward aggression, yet he sensitively picks up on Richter s sustained, hypnotic legato phrasing in the slow movements. That said, I marginally prefer the duo s more refined and supple K. 306 recorded a year later and issued on Live Classics, notably for its lighter, playful Allegretto.
More info:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=11142
Tracklist:
CD 1
W. A . Mozart
Violin Sonata in D major KV 306,
Violin Sonata in B flat major KV 378,
Violin Sonata in G major KV 379
CD2
W. A . Mozart
Andante & Allegretto KV 404,
From Violin Sonata in B flat major KV 372 - Allegro
L. v. Beethoven
Violin Sonata No 4 in A minor, op. 23,
Violin Sonata No 5 in F major, op. 24 Spring