Wonderful recordings inside an hideous cover
The recordings of Mozart's and Beethoven's violin sonatas are, by themselves, enough to qualify this collection as essential. Unfortunately, although there was lots of playing time available, the editor has not included all the sonatas Grumiaux and Haskil recorded together. Also included, among other treasures, are the eleven Scarlatti's sonatas Haskil recorded in 1950. The transfers are of average quality. Decca should give us an expertly remastered complete edition. In the meanwhile, we can listen to this one.
What seems unforgivable is the art cover: I have the previous edition of this exact same box, with a delightful photo of Clara Haskil at the piano. You can't forget that visage, its veracity and inner commitment. Fermata has now replaced all artist's photos for AI generated "portraits". The only word that comes to mind is "grotesque"! This is a disrespect for the artists we love and for the consumer. Are they sparing some cents in copyright? Have phonographic editors (even if budget ones) lost all sense of their professional deontology? The absence of a booklet was already a negative aspect, but this is intolerable! And they've done the same with all their boxes!
