In my estimation, this is one of the finest recordings that Perlman has ever done. Very highly recommended--a classic.

This is an earlier Decca release of the same recording above by Suk and Katchen. Presumably it is on a German pressing, which some collectors prefer.

David Oistrakh performing Brahms Violin Sonatas 1 & 3 with pianist Frieda Bauer. These are also classic performances, and very much in the same league as the Suk/Katchen performances. (The 1st Violin Sonata performance here is the same as on my "Le Chant du Monde" disc; however, that disc does not include the 3rd Violin Sonata with Bauer.)

Fine Russian recordings by Oistrakh, with pianist Lev Oborin, of Sonata No. 1. (Interestingly enough, Oborin was Ashkenazy's teacher.)

Over the decades, I have also cherished violinist Arthur Grumiaux's recordings of these works, with pianist Gyorgy Seebok (originally released on the Phillips label), but unfortunately, they are now out of print--except for this Penatone hybrid SACD issue, which includes only the first sonata. Highly recommended, nevertheless.

Violinist Oleg Kagan was a student of David Oistrakh, and after Oistrakh died, Sviatoslav Richter began to regularly perform with Kagan. Sadly, Kagen died in the late 1980s of Leukemia--a very great loss to the music world. (In addition to many wonderful "Live Classics" discs, in his final years Kagen made a "live" recording of Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Erato that is beyond words.)

Some reviewers have considered these to be eccentric interpretations, however, I am adding them to my list because violinist Gideon Kremer (another Oistrakh student), and pianist Valery Afanassiev play the Adagio of the 1st Sonata very, very slowly--it must be the slowest on record; and I am wondering--judging from Brahms' note to Clara Schumann--whether this isn't what the composer had in mind.

EDIT: I completely forgot about these great "historic" performances by violinist Adolf Busch and his son in law, Rudolph Serkin. The sound quality is very poor, but the performances will make you forget about it (read David Bryson's fine review). Included on this Pearl release are Brahms Violin Sonatas 1 & 2, and Schumann's Violin Sonata, No. 1. (For me, the Schumann has never been surpassed.)

A boxed set of live concert performances from the Music and Arts label, which includes Brahms Violin Sonatas 1 and 3, among other pieces. This set is the only way to acquire a Busch/Serkin performance of the Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3; although--be warned--it is a "live" historical recording, and the sound quality is worse than on the studio recordings above.