The David Oistrakh Edition - Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammopho

I still have about half the CDs left to play in this set, but so far I've been very positively impressed. I'm particularly happy with the old performances that were originally on Westminster. -jdt

All was very good and professional.

A

There is, in fact, a recording of Mozart Concerto 5 not included in this set. It was recorded in the mid 1950s with Konwitschny and the Dresden Staatskapelle and issued on Heliodor and a 1979 DG set that also had the Brahms and Tchaikovsky recordings with the same conductor. Not sure why it's missing here, but even if it originated as an East German VEB production, that is true for other recordings included in the box.

Great CD box set. Very fast shipping. Seller very highly recommended. A+++++

I don't know any other performer that so consistently makes me hear long-familiar pieces in a new way. A few individual recordings -- Anton Rubinstein's Brahms, Stephen Hough's late Brahms, Nathan Milstein's Bach Sonatas and Partitas, Lorin Maazel's Mahler and a few others -- are exceptional individual recordings. But no one else makes every piece extraordinary the way Oistrakh does.As only one example, the early Beethoven Op. 18 early violin sonatas have never gotten my attention. But Oistrakh and Lev Oborin make them so remarkably present.

David Oistrakh's international career got off to a delayed start.It wasn't until 1953 that the 45 year-old violinist made his first recording for a Western record company: EMI, which remained Oistrakh's primary Western label until his death in 1974 (23 LPs).In second place was Deutsche Grammophon: In 1954 they sent engineers to East Germany to record the Tchaikovsky Concerto in Dresden (nine LPs over an eight year period).The DG LPs form the basis of this new box, along with two LPs recorded by Decca (1961-63), and seven by Philips (1963-66).Oistrakh was in his full maturity for these recordings (age 46 to 58).-- padded out with eight mostly mono CDs of Soviet Melodiya recordings (dating back to 1948) originally licensed to Westminster Records [discussed at the end of this review]Two of the DG CDs are mono, as are seven of the eight Soviet CDs.The Decca and Philips CDs are stereo.Combined total = thirteen stereo CDs, nine mono CDs.22 CDs in a sturdy cardboard box with a 72 page booklet (unfortunately lacking an index - the contents are a bit disorganized).Modified "original jacket" format (LP artwork on the front, but no program notes on the back, just track listings).Aside from the Bach Sonatas BWV1014-1019 and some of the Soviet recordings, nothing has been newly remastered.So far everything sounds good to me, but I am not really the best judge (too old)EMI/Warner released a 17 CD box in 2008. With this "DG, Decca & Philips" box, we are close to having all of the violinist's Western recordings on CD.Still waiting for Sony to release a nice "original jacket" collection of the "Complete Recordings of David Oistrakh on RCA and Columbia" (it would be eight CDs)I have prepared a comprehensive discography of all of David Oistrakh's recordings for EMI, DG, RCA, Columbia, Decca and Philips (41 CDs)See Comment One (dated December 23, 2016) following this review.Click on "sort by oldest".The following list is limited to the recordings in the new "DG, Decca & Philips" box.PART ONE: COMPLETE DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON, DECCA AND PHILIPS RECORDINGS(stereo unless otherwise indicated)(originally recorded by Deutsche Grammophon unless otherwise indicated)BACH- Concerti (2) for Violin: David Oistrakh violin & conductor, Vienna Symphony 1962- Concerto for Two Violins BWV1043 with Igor Oistrakh: Eugene Goossens, Royal Philharmonic 1961- Sonatas (6) for Violin & Harpsichord BWV1014-1019 with Hans Pischner 1960-66*- Trio Sonata BWV1037 (now thought to be composed by Johann Gottlieb Goldberg)with Igor Oistrakh, Hans Pischner (harpsichord) 1957 monoBEETHOVEN- Romances (2) for Violin & Orchestra: Eugene Goossens, Royal Philharmonic 1961- Sonatas (10) for Violin with Lev Oborin (piano) 1962 (Philips)G. BENDA- Trio Sonata in E Major with Igor Oistrakh, Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1957 monoBRAHMS- Concerto for Violin: Franz Konwitschny, Dresden Staatskapelle 1954 mono**BRUCH- Concerto for Violin No.1: Igor Oistrakh soloist, David Oistrakh conductor, Royal Philharmonic 1961- Scottish Fantasy: Jascha Horenstein, London Symphony 1962 (Decca)DEBUSSY- Sonata for Violin with Frida Bauer (piano) 1966 (Philips)HANDEL- Trio Sonata HWV391 with Igor Oistrakh, Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1957 monoHINDEMITH- Concerto for Violin: composer, London Symphony 1962 (Decca)JANACEK- Sonata for Violin with Frida Bauer (piano) 1966 (Melodiya-Westminster-DG)***MOZART- Concerto for Violin No.1: Bernard Haitink, Lamoureux Orch. 1963 (Philips)- Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola & Orchestra K364 with Igor Oistrakh, David Oistrakh (viola): Kiril Kondrashin, Moscow Philharmonic 1963 (Decca)- Duo for Violin & Viola K423: Igor Oistrakh & David Oistrakh (viola) 1963 (Decca)PROKOFIEV- Sonata for Violin No.1 with Frida Bauer (piano) 1969 (Melodiya-Westminster-DG)***- Five Melodies Op.35b with Frida Bauer (piano) 1966 (Philips)RAVEL- Sonata for Violin in G Major with Frida Bauer (piano) 1966 (Philips)SARASATE- Navarra for Two Violins & Orchestra with Igor Oistrakh: Franz Konwitschny, Leipzig Gewandhaus 1957 monoSTRAVINSKY- Concerto for Violin: Bernard Haitink, Lamoureux Orch. 1963 (Philips)TARTINI- Trio Sonata in F Major with Igor Oistrakh, Hans Pischner (harpsichord) 1957 monoTCHAIKOVSKY- Concerto for Violin: Franz Konwitschny, Dresden Staatskapele 1954 mono**VIVALDI- Concerto for Two Violins Op.3, No.8 with Igor Oistrakh: David Oistrakh violin & conductor, Royal Phlharmonic 1961WIENIAWSKI- Études-caprices for Two Violins Op.18, No.2,4,5 with Igor Oistrakh 1957 monoYSAYE- Sonata for Solo Violin Op.27, No.3 'Ballade' 1966 (Philips)* The stereo recording of Bach Sonatas BWV1014-1019 on discs 2 & 3 is the only DG LP previously unreleased on CD.** According to the fine print, in February 1954, Oistrakh, Franz Konwitschny and the Dresden Staatskapelle recorded the Tchaikovsky Concerto in Dresden's Lukaskirche, then crossed the border and recorded the Brahms in West Berlin's Jesus-Christus-Kirche (recording home of the Berlin Philharmonic).This may be a typo.I didn't think the East German state would permit this in 1954.*** I have arbitrarily included the Melodiya LP of sonatas by Janacek and Prokofiev with pianist Frida Bauer in the list of Western recordings.This 1969 stereo LP always struck me as a sequel to the 1966 Philips LP of Twentieth Century sonatas with same pianist. The rest of the Melodiya LPs date back to the late 78rpm era.----------PART TWO: SOVIET RECORDINGS ON WESTMINSTERNot Deutsche Grammophon originals.Eight CDs recorded in the Soviet Union by Melodiya, and licensed in the 1950s by the small American LP label Westminster, whose catalog is now owned by DG/Universal Music Group.This is the closest we come to the youthful Oistrakh (not very close: he was 37 when World War II ended)Some of these were previously issued on CD by Deutsche Grammophon.The mono sound is not up to Western standards of the time, but is acceptable.There was one earlier recording - see Comment Two (dated December 27, 2016)2a: VIOLIN SOLO:CHAUSSON- Poème for Violin & Orchestra: Kirill Kondrashin, USSR State Symphony 1948 monoGLAZUNOV- Concerto for Violin: Kirill Kondrashin, USSR State Symphony 1948 mono- Mazurka-Oberek for Violin & Orchestra: Gavril Yudin, Moscow Philharmonic 1949 monoJANACEK- Sonata for Violin with Frida Bauer (piano) 1966 STEREOKABALEVSKY- Concerto for Violin: composer, USSR State Symphony 1949 monoKREISLER- La Gitana with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1949 mono*MENDELSSOHN- Concerto for Violin: Kirill Kondrashin, USSR State Symphony 1949 monoPAGANINI- Variations on a Theme from from Rossini's 'Mosé' with V. Yampolsky (piano) 1951 mono*PROKOFIEV- Concerto for Violin No.1: Kirill Kondrashin, USSR State Radio Orchestra 1953 mono- Sonata for Violin No.1: Frida Bauer (piano) 1969 STEREORAVEL- Tzigane for Violin & Orchestra: Kirill Kondrashin, USSR State Symphony 1948 monoSARASATE- Zortzico Op.42 with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1951 mono*VIEUXTEMPS- Romances Op.7, No.2 & 3 with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1952 mono*WIENIAWSKI- Étude-caprice Op.18, No.5 with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1958 mono*- Légende in G minor Op.17 with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1952 mono*YSAYE- Poeme elegiaque Op.12 with Vladimir Yampolsky (piano) 1951 mono** The virtuoso showpieces with Vladimir Yampolski (piano) were licensed to the American label "Decca" (not affiliated with British Decca). The original jacket of CD 9 shows the 1950's Decca LP cover. DG/Universal Music Group now owns the catalogs of both Deccas.2b: THE OISTRAKH TRIO[David Oistrakh (violin), Sviatoslav Knushevitzky (cello), Lev Oborin (piano)] was in existence from 1940 until the cellist's death in 1963.CHOPIN- Piano Trio in G minor Op.8 - 1950 monoDVORAK- Piano Trio No.4 in E minor, Op.90 'Dumky' - 1950 monoHAYDN- Piano Trio in C Major HobXV:27 - 1950 monoRACHMANINOV- Trio élégiaque in D Minor Op.9 - 1958 monoRAVEL- Piano Trio in A minor - 1952 monoSMETANA- Piano Trio in G minor Op.15 - 1950 monoTANEYEV- Piano Trio in D major Op. 22: - 1952 monoDISCOGRAPHY OF DAVID OISTRAKH BY WESTERN RECORD COMPANIES see Comment One (dated December 23, 2016) Click on "sort by oldest"OISTRAKH'S FIRST RECORDING + SONY RECORDINGS OF DAVID OISTRAKH see Comment Two (dated December 23, 2016)

Top notch performance and recording. A real pleasure to listen to!

David Oistrakh and the Violin - they are synonymous! His tone and interpretations of much of the staple repertoire has had me in tears many a time! He epitomizes what the greatest violinist the world has heard should be! I know there are many others there, each with their own individual style and presentation, but for me, Oistrakh is at the pinnacle. I have not listened to all the discs in this set as yet, though I do have some of the same recordings already, both in vinyl and CD, but I know what to anticipate - and in spite of that, the music take my breath away! Brilliant! Nice collection here.

Der größte Geiger des 20.Jh. mit fulminanten, „ungeschminkten“, überzeitlichen und über den Moden stehenden Aufnahmen. Kammermusik und Konzerte, intelligent ausgewählt.

Wonderful collection. Of course I cannot add anything that it has not been told already about David Oistrakh. He is supreme and that collection is perfect, both from the quality of the sound reproduction and the graphics of the inner disk covers. Each one reproduces the otiginal LP covers.

It looks like new and delivery was so fast!

Voici un beau coffret, digne du grand interprète que fut David Oistrakh. On le retrouve dans un répertoire très varié, allant de Bach à Stravinsky., et comportant aussi bien des concertos que de la musique de chambre, et une belle intégrale des sonates de Beethoven. Les enregistrements, bien que souvent très anciens, sont restitués avec une très bonne qualité sonore. Donc je n'ai aucun reproche à faire !