Brandl: The Old Refrain (Du alter Stephansturm)

The 1916-19 period saw Fritz Kreisler at his peak as an artist, although the shadow cast by America’s entrance to World War one in 1917 forced him to cancel numerous concerts. The improved fidelity possible by 1916 saw Kreisler making substitutes of his earlier American recordings, including his own Liebesfreud.

Amongst an abundance of technical marvels, Kreisler’s superb ‘parlando’ bowing is demonstrated in Granados’s Spanish Dance. The string quartet recordings include a fine Andante cantabile by Tchaikovsky, and persuasive performances with small orchestra in 1917 include Beautiful Ohio which would later be adopted as the state’s official song. After the Armistice, Kreisler was able to return to the studio in 1919 for showcase works such as Valdez’s Sérénade du Tzigane.

This ongoing series of the complete Fritz Kreisler recordings generates new interest with each release. Our highest standards of audio restoration and remastering make these volumes the reference for these historic recordings, with comments such as ‘the results are incredible’ (ClassicsToday.com on Vol 3, 8110922) encouraging seasoned collectors and inquisitive newcomers alike.

Ward Marston, producer and audio restoration engineer

Released to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Michael Rabin’s death on 19th January 1972 this collection brings together his finest recordings on EMI Classics in one comprehensive 6CD set.

Rabin was widely regarded as the finest virtuoso violinist of his generation and despite dying at the young age of 36 after suffering with a neurological illness his fame continues long after his death.

He was critically acclaimed for his performances and recordings of Paganini and included in the set are Rabin’s two recorded versions of the Paganini Violin Concerto No.1 in D Major Op. 6 from 1956 and 1960. He famously performed this work at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Dmitri Mitropolous at the age of 15 in November 1951. The full 24 Paganini Caprices for Solo Violin are also included in the set.

Displaying technical mastery with a maturity of interpretation that belied his years, Rabin’s bel canto playing style is shown in full force in this collection with excellent recordings of Bach, Wieniawski, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Debussy and Bruch.

This collection offers the listener a wonderful selection of violin repertoire with exquisite playing sure to delight any fan of the instrument.

Fritz Kreisler was born in Vienna in 1875. His father was Jewish and his mother a Roman Catholic. He was the youngest pupil ever to enter the Conservatoire in Vienna, where he was taught by Anton Bruckner. He then went to Paris to continue his studies with, among others, Leo Delibes and Jules Massenet.

He was 13 years old when he made his American début in New York, during his first tour of that country in 1888/1889. His début with the Berlin Philharmonic took place in 1898 and launched his international career. In 1910 he gave the premiére of Elgar's Violin Concerto, a work that was dedicated to him.

After a short period of residence in the US during World War I, he finally settled there at the outbreak of World War II, becoming a US citizen in 1943. In 1941 a traffic accident caused his hearing and eyesight to be somewhat impaired but he continued to perform, giving his final public concert in 1947, although he continued to broadcast for some time after that. He died in New York City in 1962.

Aside from being one of the great violin soloists of his time Kreisler was also a composer of some note, ascribing some of his own pastiche compositions to composers of an earlier time. When, in 1935, he revealed that these works were not written by the likes of Pugnani, Vivaldi and Tartini but were, in fact his own, he came in for a degree of critical opprobrium.

Whatever the critics might have said it cannot be denied that many of Kreisler's shorter works, some of which are included in this set of 10 CDs, are among the most popular in the classical genre. Here is an opportunity for the collector to become familiar with these works played by the master himself.