Milstein Emi Recordings (8CD)

Nathan Milstein - Aristocrat of the Violin
8CD Limited Edition

Nathan Mironovich Milstein was born in 1903 in Odessa (then in Russia but now in the Ukraine). His first violin lessons took place when he was just 7 years old in Odessa with the eminent teacher Piotr Stolyarsky who, a little later, taught David Oistrakh, and later still, his son Igor.

Milstein then took up studies in St. Petersburg at the invitation of the great Leopold Auer, himself a virtuoso of the violin and a hugely influential teacher. It was at this time that he became friendly with Jascha Heifetz and Vladimir Horenstein and, whilst on tour with Horowitz, the two young men decided not to return to Soviet Russia but to stay in the West.

In 1929 Milstein made his American debut with Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. Eventually he settled in the US and became an American citizen in 1942. In 1948 Milstein's recording of the Mendelssohn E minor Concerto, with Bruno Walter conducting, became the very first item in Columbia Records' new LP catalogue.

This new Icon set of 8 well-filled CDs brings together a carefully-chosen selection of some of Milstein's greatest recordings for Capitol and EMI Classics, made during the years 1955 - 1964, when Milstein's incredible talent as one of the finest soloists of the 20th Century was at its best. ( EMI )

CD1
Bach
Sonata No.1 in G minor, BWV1001
Partita No.1 in B minor, BWV1002
Sonata No.2 in A minor, BWV1003
Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV1004

CD2
Bach
Sonata No.3 in C, BWV1005
Partita No.3 in E, BWV1006
Vivaldi
Violin Sonata No.2 in A. Op.2/No.2 (ed. David)
Handel
Violin Sonata No.4 in D Op.1 No.13 (HWV371)
Vitali
Chaconne In G minor (attrib.)
Tartini
Violin Sonata in G minor "II trillo del diavolo" (arr. Kreisler)

CD3
Mozart
Violin Sonata In C, K296
Violin Sonata In E mlnor, K304
Beethoven
Violin Sonata No.5 in F, Op.24 'Spring'
Violin Sonata No.9 in A, Op.47 'Kreutzer'

CD4
Beethoven
Violin Concerto in D major, Op.61
Brahms
Violin Concerto in D, Op.77

CD 5
Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto in D, Op.35
Glazunov
Violin Concerto in A minor, Op.82
Prokofiev
Violin Concerto No.1 in D, Op.19

CD6
Saint-Saens
Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor, Op.61
Chausson
Poeme, Op.25
Dvorak
Violin Concerto in A minor, Op.53

CD7
Beethoven
Romance No.1 in G, Op.40
Romance No.2 in F, Op.50
Saint-Saens
Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op.28
Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64
Bruch
Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor, Op.26

CD8
Rachmaninov
Vocalise, Op.34 No.14
Mussorgsky
Sorochlntsky Fair - Gopak (arr. Jones)
Glazunov
Meditation, Op.32
Tchaikovsky
Waltz-Scherzo, Op.34
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op.42 (arr. Glazunov) - Meditation, Scherzo
Rimsky-Korsakov
Fantasia on Russian Themes, Op.33 (arr. Kreisler)
The Tale of the Tsar Sultan - Flight of the Bumblebee (arr. Hartmann)
Brahms
Hungarian Dance No.2 (arr. Joachim)
Massenet
Thais - Meditation (arr. Marsick)
Bach
Air from Orchestral Suite No.3 In D. BWV1068 (arr. Wilhelmj)
Gluck
Orfeo ed Euridice - Dance of the Blessed Spirits (arr. Kreisler)
Chopin
Nocturne No.20 In C minor (arr. Milstein)
Falla
Siete canciones populares espanolas - Jota (arr. Kochanski)
Wieniawski
Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op.16
Debussy
Preludes, Livre I - Minstrels (arr. Hartmann)
Sarasate
Introduction and Tarantelle, Op.43
Novecek
Perpetuum mobile
Kreisler
Praeludlum and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani