This weekend, re-discovered Milstein from the latest Naxos re-issue (Obert-Thorn transfers). An incredible Mendelssohn violin concerto (1945, New York), Bruch violin concerto (1942, New York) and Tchaikovsky violin concerto ((1940, Chicago). The Mendelssohn is fleet of foot and entirely admirable. The violin tone in these recordings is really extremely lifelike and “undigital”. Orchestras are a bit dim, and soloist a bit too far forward, but otherwise one can just sit back and listen with enjoyment. Milstein is a violinist I have usually respected rather than admired. But these three concertos show very clearly why he is always considered to be one of the last century’s great violinists. And the sound is so much better than on the EMI / Capitol American re-issues of a few years ago. A great re-discovery.