Description
Adolf Busch (1891-1952) was highly regarded for his interpretations of J. S. Bach. He prepared an important edition of the composer's solo sonatas and partitas, and championed the composer's works with orchestra, recording the Brandenburg Concertos and Orchestral Suites, as well as all of his violin concertos. His orchestra, the Busch Chamber Players, was established in 1935 in Florence, but was re-established in the United States after he emigrated there in 1939. In addition to the two solo violin concertos, this CD features the Piano Concerto in D minor with the young Eugen Istomin and the "Double" Concerto with Frances Magnes (nee Shapiro). Frances Magnes (1919-2010), the second violinist on the "Double" Concerto, was a student of Busch, and had made her debut at 14 with the Cleveland Orchestra. She gave her recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 1946, and had a double London success three years later with a Wigmore Hall recital with Gerald Moore and a Beethoven Concerto broadcast with Pierre Monteux conducting. Eugene Istomin (1925-2003), who plays the D-minor Piano Concerto, as well as continuo in the 'Double' Concerto, was discovered by Alexander Siloti who took charge of the young prodigy's musical education. At seven Istomin played for Rachmaninoff, before attending the Mannes College of Music, where he learnt piano with Ralph Wolfs and Sacha Gorodnitzky, three years later. In 1939 he became one of Rudolf Serkin's first pupils at the Curtis Institute of Music. Incidentally, the coupling of the E-major Violin Concerto and 'Double' Concerto was the very first 33-rpm 'long-playing' classical record ever issued. Released with the catalogue number ML 4002 by American Columbia in 1948, it was brought out before ML 4001 (Nathan Milstein's Mendelssohn Concerto with Bruno Walter conducting) which has always been thought to be the first classical LP.
