If, for some strange reason, you suffer from an irrational fear of losing your CD of Beethoven's Tenth Violin Sonata, then you're in luck: Sony Classical's CD reissue of the Francescatti Casadesus cycle includes it twice—once with Sonatas Nos. I, 2 and 3 ((D CD45683), then with Nos. 5 and 9 (CD CD46342). Now, at long last we have the concluding volume in the series, a generous compilation (partially compensating for the previous duplication), which highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of this formidable partnership. The Sturm und Drang element in Nos. 4 and 7 is particularly well projected: both works are given with immense vigour and urgency.

Casadesus is always kingpin, his clean, rather dry sound abetting Beethoven's counterpoint and providing the perfect foil for Francescatti's vibrant, though occasionally unsteady violin line. That's really my main quibble—his tendency to employ unvarying tone production, with lashings of vibrato but little in the way of dynamic inflexion. Otherwise, this is a great success: vital and intelligent music-making, but with plenty of heart. The transfers are truthful re-creations of clear but rather dry analogue originals.

-- R.C., Gramophone [4/1993]