Many thanks for that, Ron!

Early on in this thread, I mentioned the solo violin sonata alongside the 4th quartet and 2-piano concertino as works which had impressed in times past. I've not mentioned the 4-movement sonata since, partly because I found myself slightly bemused by it, even in the light of what seemed to be a thoroughly convincing recorded performance by Georgios Demertzis. Dating from 1925, it's generally accepted as being Skalkottas's earliest surviving "mature" work. Costas Demertzis, in his thorough CD note, maintains that it's clearly modelled on Bach, although this is not nearly as obvious to the listener as one might expect, even if the Finale is effectively a prelude + fugue.

A couple of days ago I was sent an old radio recording performed by Manoug Parikian - the one I was brought up with: the bemusement disappeared and I was fairly quickly persuaded that the work deserves to be better known. (It's doubtless a coincidence that several notable solo violin works apparently date from 1924-5 eg., a couple of Hindemith sonatas, Ysaye's sonatas and the first four Caprices and solo concerto of Eckhardt-Gramatte - one wonders if Skalkottas was aware of any of these, although presumably he would not have been attraced by the kind of virtuosity of the latter two).

So it's been an interesting exercise to compare the efforts of two first-rate violinists of different eras. In the 1st movement, Demertzis dazzles and seems to argue the case brilliantly, whereas Parikian, with what could be described as legit, straight-down-the-middle old-style playing, seems less excitable despite the drama. In the slow 2nd movement, Demertzis is more varied and contrasted whereas Parikian is fuller-toned and more sustained - and much more convincing with the rit + dim at the end. The rather deliberate 4/4 of the 3rd movement is more fluttery and with more forward momentum from Demertzis and slightly more laid back but more rhythmically solid from Parikian. The 4th movement has a wistful adagio followed by (again) a brilliantly argued fast section from Demertzis, but Parikian - and this is probably the winning element for me - Parikian seems to convey both the interior and overall logic more successfully.

This is not to belittle Demertzis's version - he is after all, much more than one of today's bobby-dazzlers. But what I referred to as the legit old-style approach of Parikian still has a lot of mileage. One reference suggested that he gave the world premiere of this work at the Oxford Bach Festival back in 1954: apparently he also performed the violin concerto. Looking forward to digging out his recordings of Medtner and Busoni . . .

Thanks for that, autoharp - - don't run across this sort of thing every day!

Thank you autoharp for making these examples of Skalkottas' music available.
I find this music strangely appealing. I never heard the name of Skalkottas, though it says in the dictionary that he belongs to the third Viennese school. He is underrated definitely.