Violin Masterpieces

Read About This Recording

Violin Masterpieces is a unique 12-CD set that features the violin in solo and chamber settings. The artist roster is impressive with Oscar Shumsky, Robert Mann, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Christian Tetzlaff and Pamela Frank.

The set starts off with the German violinist Christian Tetzlaff performing the three Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin by Bach. This is music that is spiritual as well as virtuosic. Bach is not satisfied with a single line of music, instead he creates chords and even counterpoint — a technique in which the harmonic drift implies extra voices. Sounding like an actor's soliloquy, Tetzlaff's violin speaks with great characteristic joy, personal feeling and exhilaration. The next two discs comprise a good overview of the Violin Sonatas of Mozart. They are expertly performed by American Oscar Shumsky — including the popular G Major K.301, B-flat Major K.378 and A Major, K.305. David Oistrakh called Shumsky "one of the world's greatest violinists."

Young Pamela Frank offers the complete sonatas by Beethoven. She is joined by her father Claude Frank as pianist, creating a splendid musical dialogue that is both familial and exciting. Included are Sonatas No. 9 "Kreutzer" and No. 5 "Spring" — two of the most celebrated violin sonatas in the entire canon, with their demanding violin parts, unusual length and emotional scope. Known predominantly for his work with the Juilliard String Quartet, Robert Mann and British pianist Stephen Hough perform the three Brahms Violin Sonatas. Together they create a wonderful naturalness with their playing — two chamber music icons.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg burst upon the scene when she won the Naumburg prize in 1981 as its youngest winner ever. Her flawless technical facility combined with her individual, passionate and powerful sound are her trademarks. Here she performs the Prokofieff Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80, part of the composer's small but significant output of chamber music that has been called a "meditation on the fate of the motherland" and the Fauré Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13 — an amalgamation of classical forms and late romantic sentiment. The set finishes up with the music of Fritz Kreisler, one of the most famous violinists of his day. A throwback, he was one of the last great virtuosos who was also a composer — with his "Liebesleid," "Liebesfreud" and "Caprice Viennois," his most popular short works. Oscar Shumsky is joined by the great pianist Milton Kaye — known as "Heifitz' accompanist."

A great opportunity to hear the violin through the ages performed by noteworthy players who specialize in chamber music performance. A real treat and a great value!

—Terrence London

Contents

CD 1 (TT: 62:47): Bach: Sonatas for Solo Violin: No. 1 in G Minor, BWV1001; No. 2 in A Minor, BWV1003; Partita for Solo Violin No. 1 in B Minor, BWV1002. Christian Tetzlaff, Violin.

CD 2 (TT: 66:54): Bach: Partitas for Solo Violin: No. 2 in D Minor, BWV1004; No. 3 in E Major, BWV1006; Sonata for Solo Violin No. 3 in C Major, BWV1005. Christian Tetzlaff, Violin.

CD 3 (TT: 64:01): Mozart: Violin Sonatas: in G Major, K.301 (293a); in E-flat Major, K.302 (293b); in C Major, K.303 (293c); in A Major, K.305 (293d); in C Major, K.296. Oscar Shumsky, Violin; Artur Balsam, Piano.

CD 4 (TT: 49:49): Mozart: Violin Sonatas: in E Minor, K.304 (300c); in D Major, K.306 (300l); in B-flat Major, K.378 (317d); Violin Sonata Movement in B-flat Major, K.372. Oscar Shumsky, Violin; Artur Balsam, Piano.

CD 5 (TT: 60:21): Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano & Violin: in A Minor, Op. 47 Kreutzer (Sonata No. 9); in D Major, Op. 12 No. 1 (Sonata No. 1). Pamela Frank, Violin; Claude Frank, Piano.

CD 6 (TT: 57:34): Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano & Violin: in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2 (Sonata No. 2); in E-flat Minor, Op. 12 No. 3 (Sonata No. 3); in A Minor, Op. 23 (Sonata No. 4). Pamela Frank, Violin; Claude Frank, Piano.

CD 7 (TT: 66:04): Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano & Violin: in A Major, Op. 30 No. 1 (Sonata No. 6); in C Minor, Op. 30 No. 2 (Sonata No. 7); in G Major, Op. 30 No. 3 (Sonata No. 8). Pamela Frank, Violin; Claude Frank, Piano.

CD 8 (TT: 52:03): Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano & Violin: in G Major, Op. 96 (Sonata No. 10); in F Major, Op. 24 Spring (Sonata No. 5). Pamela Frank, Violin; Claude Frank, Piano.

CD 9 (TT: 69:13): Brahms: Sonatas for Violin & Piano: No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78; No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100; No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108. Robert Mann, Violin; Stephen Hough, Piano.

CD 10 (TT: 52:22): Prokofieff: Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 80; Fauré: Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13. Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Violin; Sandra Rivers, Piano.

CD 11 (TT: 77:00): Kreisler: Viennese: Austrian Imperial Hymn; Caprice Viennois; Liebesfreud; Liebeslied; Schön Rosmarin; Viennese Rhapsodic Fantasietta; Works in the Style of: Praeludium and Allegro (Pugnani); Allegretto (Boccherini); Allegretto (Porpora); La Chasse (Cartier); Grave (W.F. Bach); Sicilienne et Rigaudon (Franœur); Tempo di menuetto (Pugnani); Dvorák (arr. Kreisler): Humoresque; Slavonic Dances: No. 1 in G Minor; No. 2 in E Minor; No. 3 in G Major; Indian Lament; Slavonic Fantasy on Songs My Father Taught Me. Oscar Shumsky, Violin; Milton Kaye, Piano.

CD 12 (TT: 50:30): Kreisler: Tambourin Chinois; Tchaikovsky (arr. Kreisler): Andante cantabile; Humoresque; Chant sans paroles; Scherzo; England (arr. Kreisler): Traditional: Londonderry Air; Grainger: Molly on the Shore; Works in the Style of: Chanson Louis XIII et Pavane (Couperin); Scherzo (Dittersdorf); La Précieuse (Couperin); Andantino (Martini); Tambourin (Leclair); Aubade Provençale (Couperin); Minuett (Porpora). Oscar Shumsky, Violin; William Wolfram, Piano.