The works on this CD represent some of the finest for the violin to emerge from the French violin tradition – a tradition that stretches back some four centuries. From Louis XIII’s 24 Violins du roi of 1626, through Lully and Leclair in the 18th century, and Rode, Kreutzer, de Beriot, Lalo, Vieuxtemps and Saint-Saens in the 19th.

Lalo’s evergreen Symphonie Espagnole reflects his Spanish ancestry, and it is thought that he consulted the great Spanish virtuoso Pablo Sarasate during the composition of the work. It is a clever blend of symphony and concerto, Spanish colour, French effervescence and Germanic structure.

Vieuxtemps was a child prodigy, making his public debut at the age of 11 in 1831, and was compared to Paganini. He produced 7 violin concertos, and Nos 4 and 5 have remained in the repertoire to this day. The 5th Concerto is innovative in dovetailing movements together – something Mendelssohn and Bruch would do later in their famous concertos.

Saint-Saëns was another child prodigy, and a pianist of tremendous technique from an early age. He produced 5 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 2 cello concertos and 3 violin concertos and many other concertante works, along with many operas and chamber works. Polished, fluent with a truly memorable gift for a great tune, his Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso was written for the 19-year-old Sarasate in 1863.

‘Mintz plays the piece with fine panache: his treatment of the gorgeous, lilting secondary theme of the first movement is tenderly seductive, while the Scherzo dances with a delicious feathery weightlessness, its lyrical strain enticingly Carmenesque. The habanera rhythms of the Intermezzo are certainly touched with G string voluptuousness but, again, there is an element of restraint, which shows the true artist not overplaying his hand’ - Gramophone, March 1992