Russian-born Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010) was possibly the most famous viola player of all time. He performed as a soloist and in chamber groups with Shostakovich, Richter, Oistrakh and Rostropovich, and later with Kogan and Gilels. He won numerous Soviet and international competitions.

He was the founding violist of the Borodin Quartet in 1945 and was a member until 1953.

In 1955, Barshai formed and led the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, a superb ensemble which soon became internationally famous until he emigrated to the West in 1977. He was the artistic director of the Israel Chamber Orchestra from 1977 to 1981.

Barshai was music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (1981-1982), principal guest conductor of Orchestre National de France (1985-86) and music director of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (1982-88).

In addition, Barshai achieved fame both as a musical interpreter and arranger of Shostakovich's and Prokofiev's music and as a pioneer of the composer Alexander Lokshin. He was particularly noted for his arrangement of Shostakovich's String Quartet No.8 for chamber orchestra and recorded a number of Shostakovich's works, including the world premiere recording of the composer's Fourteenth Symphony in 1969.

In 2000 Barshai produced a completion of Mahler's Tenth Symphony.

Many of his recordings have earned critical acclaim and have won international awards, including the 1988 Gramophone Award, as well as awards for the complete Shostakovich Symphonies.

Contents:
CD 1
Schumann / Prokofiev / Forsyth / Chopin / Grieg Ravel / Debussy: Viola Works (arrangements by Rudolf Barshai)

CD 2
J S Bach / Hindemith / Handel: Works for Viola and Orchestra

CD 3
Bunin / Kryukov / Khandoshkin: Viola Sonatas & Concertos

CD 4
Beethoven: String Trios 1 & 3

CD 5
Fauré: Piano Quartet No.1 op.15
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet Op.57

CD 6
Shostakovich: String Quartets 1, 3 & 4

CD 7
Beethoven: String Quartet No.7
Tchaikovsky: String Sextet Op.70 ‘Souvenirs de Florence’

CD 8
Boccherini: Symphony No.2
Vivaldi: Concertos RV547 & 580 / The Four Seasons

CD 9
Albinoni / Tartini / Vivaldi / J S Bach: Works for Strings and Orchestra

CD 10
J S Bach: Concertos for Violin and Orchestra BWV 1041, 1042 & 1049
Mozart: Symphony No.40 K550

CD 11
Mozart: Divertimento No.1 K136 (K125a) / Sinfonia concertante K364 / Rondo in C major K373 / Symphony No.29 K201

CD 12
Mozart: Symphony No.10 K74 / Violin Concerto No.5 K219 / Piano Concerto No.21 K467 / Rondo in D major for piano and orchestra K382

CD 13
Haydn: Symphonies Nos 49 ‘The Passion’ & 104 / Piano Concerto Op.18 no.11

CD 14
Schubert: Symphony No.5 D485
Shostakovich: Symphony No.14 op.135

CD 15
Lokshin: Symphonies 4 & 5 / 3 Scenes from Faust

CD 16
Martinu / Bartók: Divertimentos
Stravinsky: Concerto grosso / Apollonmusagète

CD 17
Purcell: Two Phantasies for string orchestra
Britten: Simple Symphony Op.4
Tippett: Concerto for Double String Orchestra / Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage

CD 18
Mozart: Symphony No.35 K385
Dvorak: Symphony No.9 op.95 B178 ‘From the New World’
Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

CD 19
Mahler: Symphony No.10

CD 20
Borodin / Tchaikovsky / Shostakovich: Chamber Symphonies (arr. Rudolf Barshai)