FAMOUS VIOLINISTS PLAY

Mintz, Accardo, Ricci, Gitlis, Oistrakh, Kremer, Tretiakov

CD1 64’46

SHOSTAKOVICH: Violin Concertos 1 & 2

David Oistrakh violin

Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra / Yevgeny Mravinsky

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra / Gennady Rozhdestvensky

CD2 68’24

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonatas Op.24 ‘Spring’

Op.30 Nos. 1 & 2

Arthur Grumiaux violin · Clara Haskil piano

CD3 55’57

FRANCK · LEKEU: Violin Sonatas

Christian Ferras violin · Pierre Barbizet piano

CD4 70’12

BERG · HINDEMITH · STRAVINSKY: Violin Concertos

Ivry Gitlis violin

Pro Musica Symphony, Vienna / William Strickland

Westphalia Symphony Orchestra / Hubert Reichert

Concerts Colonne Orchestra / Harold Byrns

CD5 75’18

PAGANINI: Violin Concerto No.1

KHACHATURIAN: Violin Concerto

Viktor Tretiakov violin

Estonian State Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi

Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra / Dmitri Tulin

CD6 63’24

BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto · Romances 1 & 2

Henryk Szeryng violin

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Bernard Haitink

CD7 52’52

Works by PAGANINI, ERNST, BARTÓK, STRAVINSKY, BERIO, SHCHEDRIN, DINICU, BORZO/BIHARI and SAINT-SAËNS

Gidon Kremer violin

CD8 76’09

SAINT-SAËNS: Violin Concertos 1 & 2

Ulf Hoelscher violin

New Philharmonia Orchestra / Pierre Dervaux

CD9 77’01

ELGAR · WALTON: Violin Concertos

Salvatore Accardo violin

London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox

CD10 60’01

LALO: Symphonie Espagnole

VIEUXTEMPS: Violin Concerto No.5

SAINT-SAËNS: Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso Op.28

Shlomo Mintz violin

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra / Zubin Mehta

A superb collection of 10CDs containing perfomances by some of the greatest violinists of the mid to late 20th century. The repertoire ranges from the great concertos by Beethoven (Szeryng) Elgar and Walton (Accardo), Berg (Gitlis), Shostakovitch concertos 1&2 (Oistrakh), to some of the great chamber works for violin such as Beethoven’s sonatas Op.25 ‘Spring’, and Op.30/1&2 (Grumiaux), Frank and Lekeu Sonatas.

Along the way there are some fascinating recordings of Kremer in a mixed recital of Paganini, Ernst, Bartok, Stravinsky, Stravinsky, Berio, Shchedrin, Dinicu and Saint-Saens. Hoelscher performs not only the well known Saint-Seans First concerto, but also the very rare Second, and Mintz is captured in his prime in a recording from DG of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and Vieuxtemp’s Fifth concerto. Tretiakov, perhaps better known as a chamber musician and teacher at the Moscow Conservatory performs the Paganini First concerto and Khachaturian colourful and highly virtuosic concerto.

‘As to performances I don't think they could have chosen better than Ulf Hoelscher for this music. He has all the virtuosity that Saint-Saens nearly always demands and absolute purity of intonation. He can 'sing' with lovely tone the affectingly simple melodies that Saint-Saëns can also write’ Gramophone December 1977. ‘All great virtuosos revel in Saint-Saens's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and Mehta stands back to let Mintz dazzle us, which he does with much finesse, superb bowing sophistication and entertaining aplomb’.

Gramophone March 1992 (Lalo, Vieuxtemps, Saint-Seans)

Brilliant Classics 10cds 9201