Nathan Milstein Plays Violin Concertos By Mendelssohn, Bruch & Tchaikovsky

Nathan Milstein (1904-1992) is acknowledged as one of the giants of violin playing in the 20th century. His playing epitomized elegance, yet his interpretations could be passionately intense when called for. Milstein’s immaculate technique was achieved through the utmost ease, allowing him to concertize well into his 80s, longer than any other violinist before or since. This CD brings together the Mendelssohn, Bruch No.1 and Tchaikovsky concertos, three of most popular 19th-century violin concertos ever written. Milstein’s first recordings of these three concertos were brought out on 78-rpm discs, but the ones on this CD are his second recordings originally issued on mono LPs recorded in 1953. Because they were supplanted only a few years later by his stereo re-makes, they are the least well-known versions of Milstein’s interpretations. Nevertheless, they capture the violinist at the peak of his violinistic prowess.