Search - David Oistrakh :: In Prague: Violin Sonatas & Concertos

The voice of God, but this one's for the fans...

Scott68 | Columbus, Ohio United States | 01/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is not a first Oistrakh CD to get but it offers a great series of alternate recordings for the Oistrakh collector like me. Many of these performances are recorings of Czech radio broadcasts and performances taped live at the hall he was playing, ranging from as early as 1947 and to as late as 1972, therefore the sound quality is less than desireable but the playing is always warm and gorgeous and full of red hot expression and offers a great series of alternate recordings for the Oistrakh collector like me. This is therefore not a first Oistrakh CD to get if you are a beginning collector. I would recommend instead getting the box set labelled "The Oistrakh Collection" or "David Oistrakh Edition" if you can find it. For more suggestions, click on my profile and look into my Oistrakh and favorite violin cds listmania lists.It is my opinion Mr Oistrakh hit his artistic peak around 1954 when also the sound quality of his recordings improved drastically and he was able to acquire the violins he desired: notably the Conte di Fontana Strad he the later traded for the Marsick Strad (in June 1966), which he played until his death. Also notable is SOME of the music of his time that was written for him is included in this disk: two Shostakovich Concertos, the Khachaturian Concerto, the Miakovsky Concerto, and his direct involvement with the writing of Prokofiev's first violin Sonata. I am the biggest of Oistrakh fans, he has been my favorite violinist for many years and I will continue to listen to and collect his recordings the rest of my life. His sound is so incredible and expressive I can only describe it as the voice of God with and infinite expression and beauty: his tone is complete and golden even in the oldest and most dated recordings. His vibrato is so expressive as he is able to vary the speed and width to match exactly what the music needs without smothering it with too much sweetness. He is also able to handle the most difficult technical difficulties with ease and makes even the most difficult pieces seem effortless and natural. If you read his biography by his son Igor you know he was influenced by Kreisler and has great tone with great musicality and no limitations of technique. We should feel licky to have these recordings available and I hope for more of the same, an artist of this caliber produced timeless beauty that will be admired for generations to come. Truly this is the standard of how the violin should be played!"