A superb collection of 10 CDs containing perfomances by some of the greatest violinists of the mid to late 20th century. The repertoire ranges from the great concertos by Beethoven (Szeryng) Elgar and Walton (Accardo), Berg (Gitlis), Shostakovitch concertos 1 and 2 (Oistrakh), to some of the great chamber works for violin such as Beethoven’s sonatas Op.25 ‘Spring’, and Op.30/1&2 (Grumiaux), Frank and Lekeu Sonatas.

Along the way there are some fascinating recordings of Kremer in a mixed recital of Paganini, Ernst, Bartok, Stravinsky, Stravinsky, Berio, Shchedrin, Dinicu and Saint-Saens. Hoelscher performs not only the well known Saint-Seans First concerto, but also the very rare Second, and Mintz is captured in his prime in a recording from DG of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and Vieuxtemp’s Fifth concerto. Tretiakov, perhaps better known as a chamber musician and teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, performs the Paganini's First concerto and Khachaturian's colourful and highly virtuosic concerto.

‘As to performances I don't think they could have chosen better than Ulf Hoelscher for this music. He has all the virtuosity that Saint-Saens nearly always demands and absolute purity of intonation. He can 'sing' with lovely tone the affectingly simple melodies that Saint-Saëns can also write’ - Gramophone, December 1977

‘All great virtuosos revel in Saint-Saens's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and Mehta stands back to let Mintz dazzle us, which he does with much finesse, superb bowing sophistication and entertaining aplomb’. - Gramophone March 1992 (Lalo, Vieuxtemps, Saint-Seans)

Contents:
CD 1 [64’46]
Shostakovich: Violin Concertos 1 & 2
David Oistrakh (violin)
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra / Yevgeny Mravinsky
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra / Gennady Rozhdestvensky

CD 2 [68’24]
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Op.24 ‘Spring’, Op.30 Nos 1 & 2
Arthur Grumiaux (violin) · Clara Haskil (piano)

CD 3 [55’57]
Franck · Lekeu: Violin Sonatas
Christian Ferras (violin) · Pierre Barbizet piano

CD 4 [70’12]
Berg · Hindemith · Stravinsky: Violin Concertos
Ivry Gitlis (violin)
Pro Musica Symphony, Vienna / William Strickland
Westphalia Symphony Orchestra / Hubert Reichert
Concerts Colonne Orchestra / Harold Byrns

CD 5 [75’18]
Paganini: Violin Concerto No.1
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto
Viktor Tretiakov (violin)
Estonian State Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra / Dmitri Tulin

CD 6 [63’24]
Beethoven: Violin Concerto · Romances 1 & 2
Henryk Szeryng (violin)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Bernard Haitink

CD 7 [52’52]
Works by Paganini, Ernst, Bartok, Stravinsky, Berio, Shchedrin, Dinicu, Borzo/Bihari and Saint-Saens
Gidon Kremer (violin)

CD 8 [76’09]
Saint-Saens: Violin Concertos 1 & 2
Ulf Hoelscher (violin)
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Pierre Dervaux

CD 9 [77’01]
Elgar · Walton: Violin Concertos
Salvatore Accardo (violin)
London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox

CD 10 [60’01]
Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole
Vieuxtemps: Violin Concerto No.5
Saint-Saens: Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso Op.28
Shlomo Mintz (violin)
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra / Zubin Mehta