Not surprisingly, the sound on these recordings, made between 1939 and 1968, is variable, not least because of their Soviet provenance. On the other hand, these Brilliant Classics transfers, whatever their source, sound notably better in some cases than previous issues (and most of this material has appeared many times over the years, on various legitimate and less-than-legitimate labels). For example, the Dvorák concerto has an openness and immediacy lacking in several previous incarnations. As for the performances, most are familiar, and it’s pointless to nitpick. Oistrakh was one of the giants of the violin in the last century, and this 10-CD set features him at his best, in plenty of interesting repertoire.
For the record, you get concertos by: Mendelssohn, Dvorák, Shostakovich (both), Beethoven, Kabalevsky, Taneyev (Concert Suite), Prokofiev (No. 1), Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Bartók (No. 1), Szymanowski (No. 1), Lalo (Symphonie espagnole), Bruch (Scottish Fantasy), Hindemith, Glazunov, Stravinsky, and Miaskovsky, plus Ravel’s Tzigane, Chausson’s Poème, and Glazunov’s Mazurka-Oberek. Many of these (Sibelius, Hindemith, Shostakovich, Prokofiev) are rightly regarded as classics, and if you’re looking for the essential concerto collection featuring this outstanding artist, then look no further. At the Brilliant Classics price you can’t go wrong, and there’s enough music here to provide years of thoughtful listening enjoyment.
