R E M ISAAC STERN D O I Vol. 5 Live 2CDs MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto, Concertgebouw Orch., Rafael Kubelik, June 21, 1951 BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto, Orchestre National de l’ORTF, Josef Krips, Sept. 18, 1958 BRAHMS: Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, Op. 102 Leonard Rose - Cello, Orchestre National de l’ORTF, Eugene Ormandy, Jan. 21, 1972 WIENIAWSKI: Violin Concerto No. 2; CHAUSSON: Poème Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, Emmanuel Krivine. June 14, 1980 BEETHOVEN: Romance #2, Orch. National de France, Claudio Abbado, June 28, 1960 - - CD1 - - BEETHOVEN: Violin concerto in D major, Op. 61 41:38 1. I. Allegro ma non troppo 23:12 2. II. Larghetto 9:24 3. III. Rondo: Allegro 8:56 Orchestre National de l’ORTF, Josef Krips - conductor Live performance, September 18, 1958 BRAHMS: Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op. 102 32:49 4. I: Allegro 16:21 5. II: Andante 7:18 6. III: Vivace non troppo 9:08 Leonard Rose - Cello Orchestre National de l’ORTF, Eugene Ormandy - conductor Live performance, Paris, January 21, 1972 - - CD2 - - MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 26:36 1. I. Allegro molto appassionato 11:55 2. II. Andante 8:25 3. III. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace 6:10 Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rafael Kubelik - conductor Live performance, June 21, 1951 WIENIAWSKI: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22 22:42 4. I. Allegro moderato 11:35 5. II. Romance: Andante non troppo 4:36 6. III. Allegro con fuoco 6:28 7. CHAUSSON: Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 25 17:20 Nouvel Orchestre philharmonique, Emmanuel Krivine - conductor Live performance, Paris, June 14, 1980 8. BEETHOVEN : Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50 9:30 Orchestre National de France, Claudio Abbado - conductor Live performance, Paris, June 28, 1980 Isaac Stern & Leonard Rose In his entry for Isaac Stern in his definitive survey, Great Masters of the Violin, Boris Schwartz recalled: “In October of 1937, I went to New York's Town Hall to hear the debut recital of a new violinist from the West Coast. By the time he had finished his first piece, Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata, I knew that I was hearing a major new violinist. His name was Isaac Stern.” It is abundantly clear that Isaac Stern was to more than fulfill the promise that Schwartz had so acutely observed. His career as a solo artist, chamber musician par excellence, promoter of young talent, defender of classical music, and much else besides - he led the movement to save Carnegie hall - was remarkable. Stern was always modest about his violin playing. In his 1999 autobiography, he admitted that he “could not play the violin as well as Heifetz, Oistrakh, Milstein, or, today, Perlman or Zukerman.” He had always been “self-conscious” that he didn't possess “the necessary basic training and physical habits in violin playing.” Paradoxically, though, he mused that this perhaps gave him “the freedom to have the musical insights that are my strength and my pleasure, my reason for being.” In these CDs, Stern's performances are an eloquent testament to Stern's musical insights. They show too that his technical apparatus was more than sufficient to handle the difficulties of the works he performed. Above all, they demonstrate his gorgeous, luminous tone, which gave rise to the quip that “Isaac leaves no tone un-Sterned.” The details of Isaac Stern's life are well-known. Besides his autobiography that was published two years before his death at the age of 81, the website isaacsternlegacy.org contains copious biographical materials, including an extensive timeline. He was born in 1920, in Krzemieniec, then part of Poland, (now Kremenets in Ukraine). A year later his parents came to San Francisco. Violin lessons began at eight, with Naoum Blinder, his primary teacher. Two years later he made his debut, playing the Bach double violin concerto with his teacher. His Town Hall debut in 1937 was followed by a Carnegie Hall debut in 1943 when he was 23. He was the first American artist to tour the former Soviet Union-and as a result became a deeply respected figure there. The campaign to save Carnegie Hall began in 1960. The Six-Day War of 1967 saw his iconic performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Leonard Bernstein on Mount Scopus. His involvement with Hollywood, which began in 1948 with his performance on the film Humoresque, was followed up in 1971, when he played on the soundtrack of Fiddler on the Roof. Despite his intense non-musical work, he continued to premiere new works, such as the Rochberg, Penderecki, Dutilleux, and Maxwell violin concertos. His travel to China in 1979, led to a resurgence of classical music in that country, documented in From Mao to Mozart. He recorded prolifically, earning 7 Grammy Awards and 29 nominations. Over the years he received countless honours and tributes. Isaac Stern passed away at the age of 81 in 2001. Throughout 2020, his centenary year, many events celebrating his life and achievement are being held to honour this remarkable musician. Jack Silver.