Bruch - Violin Concerto nr. 1

After the very enjoyable audition of the Prokofiev concerto I switched to another recording by the Mintz/Abbado/CSO partnership. The Mendelssohn/Bruch combo was Mintz' debut recording on DGG in 1980. Honestly, it didn't appeal to me. After the delicacy and understatement of the Prokofiev, the full blown romanticism of Bruch's old warhorse didn't connect. Furthermore, the recording had nothing of the spaciousness and transparency of the 1983 recording. Whether this was already the case with the original tape I don't know. The version I listened to is a re-issue in DGG's 'Grand Prix' series, remastered in the Emil Berliner Studios. It sounds boxy and overblown, as if all the music is compressed in a single point. Also Mintz' beautiful tone was butchered in the process. Quite dispiriting, really.