David Oistrakh & Lev Oborin Ludwig Van Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos.5 & 9

TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Classical
TAS Recommended! Rated a 'Best Audiophile Label Recording' in the November 2009 issue of The Absolute Sound!
Oistrakh was one of the greatest violinists of his day, and was the most characteristic representative of the Russian school, although his training took place in Odessa. He developed his monumental style during his time in Moscow. He combined supreme technical mastery and musicianship, delivered with a warm and powerful tone. He was very happy to perform new works, and many Soviet composers dedicated works to him (Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Myaskovsky, Khachaturian, Rakov, Vainberg).
He also played sonatas with Lev Oborin and trios with Oborin and Knushevitsky, and was also a talented conductor. He was a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory from 1934, and among his students were his son Igor, Valery Klimov and Gidon Kremer. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1954 and was awarded the Lenin Prize in 1960. He was also awarded honours by the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Conservatorio di Saint Cecilia in Rome. His hobby was chess and he played a famous match against Prokofiev in 1937.
In addition to the great symphonic works and the piano sonatas, Beethoven's violin sonatas only seem to play a subordinate role at first glance. While the early contributions to this genre were still received with skepticism because of their "rare difficulties" and "eruditions" of the piano part, the later sonatas show an increasingly independent imprint of the violin part. This also explains why the A major Sonata dedicated to the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer and the Spring Sonata, subtitled by a foreign hand, became the defining models of their genre.
Only a few words are needed about David Oistrakh, the first-class performer in this Philips re-release. All the more attention deserves the performances of the much less known man at the piano, Lev Oborin, who supported the Russian master violinist on many chamber music evenings. His playing knows all facets of the instrumental dialogue. One exercises the necessary restraint in the melody-leading violin passages, throws motif balls at oneself and speaks energetically when the score provides. All this is done with the precision of a movement, without ever falling into virtuoso mechanics.

Features:

• 180g Virgin Vinyl
• High Quality Pressing
• Pure Analogue Audiophile Mastering

Musicians:

• David Oistrakh, violin
• Lev Oborin, paino

Selections:

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
Violin Sonata No.9 in A major O.47 "Kreutzer"
Side A:
1. Adagio sostenuto - Presto
2. Andante con variazioni
Side B:
1. Finale - Presto
Violin Sonata No.5 in F major Op.24 "Spring"
2. Allegro
3. Adagio molto espressivo
4. Scherzo - Allegro molto
5. Rondo - Allegro ma non troppo