BACH (1685–1750)

Concerto for two violins in D minor BWV 1043

ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, LONDON, 18 FEBRUARY 1961

MOZART (1756–1791)

Sinfonia concertante K 364

ROYAL ALBERT HALL, LONDON, 28 SEPTEMBER 1963

BRAHMS (1833–1897)

Violin Concerto in D Major op.77

ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, LONDON, 19 SEPTEMBER 1963

DAVID OISTRAKH

Igor Oistrakh

Colin Davis

Yehudi Menuhin

Kirill Kondrashin

English Chamber Orchestra

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra

This programme introduces David Oistrakh not just as violinist, but also as father and friend in the performances of the Bach Double Concerto and Mozart Sinfonia concertante with his son, Igor.

This pairing is said to have been David Oistrakh’s favourite performance partnership. The performance of the Bach concerto is one of the Oistrakhs’ best readings of the work – it formed their first foreign engagement as a duo, with the Festival Hall concert beginning the 1961 tour. The performance of the Mozart Sinfonia concertante at the Royal Albert Hall was sold out (this tour was said to be only the second

occasion that David Oistrakh had played the viola in forty years).

This performance is a wonderful combination with Menuhin conducting Oistrakh in a work that he himself had recently recorded with Rudolf Barshai (the second half of this concert saw Oistrakh conducting Menuhin in the Beethoven Concerto).

Kondrashin was renowned as a concerto accompanist, and demonstrates his immense control and expressive technique in the Brahms performance. He was also one of David Oistrakh’s favourite conductors.

Reviews of Oistrakh’s audio recordings:

“Oistrakh sounds superbly poised and confident” (Brahms Concerto on EMI – Penguin Guide)

“This is great violin playing: Oistrakh is on superb form, playing with his customary warmth…fiddle buffs will need no prompting” (audio recording of the Brahms Concerto on BBC Legends – review from the Gramophone)

“David Oistrakh's playing is peerless. In Bach's Double Concerto father and son are suitably contrasted in timbre, and the performance of the great slow movement is Elysian.” (Audio recording on Deutsche Grammophon)

Sound format: LCPM mono

Picture format: 4:3

Running time: 94’

Subtitles: n/a

Menu languages: English

Booklet languages: E/F/G

Region code: 0

ICAClassics DVD ICAD5012