Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major / Elgar: Violin Sonata in E Minor
After a period of semiretirement due to personal problems, Midori returns with this marvelous recital. The Franck sonata is, after Beethoven'sKreutzer, the best known--and just plain best--work for violin and piano.  The finale features a tune so completely beautiful that you hardly even notice Franck's ingenious, strictly contrapuntal treatment of it each time in returns.  Midori's performance of the sonata is both probing and intimate. What's more, the rarely performed Elgar work offers a singularly apt coupling that raises the entire recital to a very special level of distinction. Let's hope that this excellent violinist enjoys a smooth career from here on out.--David Hurwitz