Two recordings released

Marking Oistrakh’s centennial, the Russian firm Melodia recently released two worthwhile recordings. The first combines three different violin concertos by three very different composers: Bartok, Hindemith and Szymanowski. In Oistrakh’s performances, the three concertos, combined as they are in this mini-anthology, appear to have much in commons, each displaying the violinist’s mighty talent. As conductor Kirill Kondrashin said, “Oistrakh was a great violinist, but he played everything with an almost identical method, although different music he played differently.” 

If his Bartok and Hindemith share similarities, then Oistrakh’s Mozart is something else entirely. And it is Mozart which is the subject of the second re-release – Wolfgang Amadeus’ 5th and 7th violin concertos, recorded in 1947 and 1950 and conducted by Kondrashin. These are historic recordings that were some of the first of Kondrashin’s and Oistrakh’s many collaborations.

Also worthy of note is the 10-cd boxed set of Oistrakh violin concertos (pictured) recently released on the Brilliant Classics label, containing many of the master’s historic recordings.