From his teens onwards, Mischa Elman was regarded in his lifetime as one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. A student of the legendary Leopold Auer, Elman was one of the first of the great Russian-Jewish violinists to dominate violin playing in the 20th century. This CD – the first in a series of Elman releases from Biddulph – includes short pieces by Tchaikovsky and Wieniawski, including the latter’s Second Violin Concerto in D minor, op.22. Made in the early 1950s, these recordings have never appeared on CD before, and vividly document Mischa Elman with his fabled luscious tone. Highlights include such favourites as Tchaikovsky’s heart-wrenching None but the Lonely Heart and nostalgic Valse sentimentale, as well as the haunting Légende and Polonaise brilliante no.1 by Wieniawski.

The short pieces with piano by Tchaikovsky and Wieniawski were recorded over five sessions in the Victor Studio No.2 in New York on 23 & 25 September 1953 and 7, 9 & 14 October 1952, and released on RCA Victor LM 1740. The Wieniawski Concerto was recorded in the Philadelphia Academy of Music on 23 June 1950, and first released on RCA Victor LM 53.