Tchaikovsky:
Andante Cantabile (from String Quartet No. 1 in D Op. 11)
Danse russe in A minor, Op. 40 No. 10
None but the lonely heart, Op. 6 No. 6
Serenade for strings in C major, Op. 48:
II. Waltz
Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42:
Scherzo in D minor
Souvenir de Hapsal, Op. 2:
No. 3. Song without Words in F major
Valse sentimentale, Op. 51 No. 6
Wieniawski:
Légende in G minor, Op. 17
Mazurka in A minor
Polonaise brilliante No. 1 in D major, Op. 4
Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22

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.