Igor Oistrakh (1931-2021)

[pastoralguy]

Just reported on a specialist violin site.

One of my favourite violinists and his recording of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto under his great father David was my inspiration to want to learn the violin.

RIP.

[richardfinegold]

Just reported on a specialist violin site.

One of my favourite violinists and his recording of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto under his great father Davis was my inspiration to want to learn the violin.

RIP.

I assume that you meant David.
It was hard to asses Igor independently of his towering Paternal heritage. In your opinion, PG, had he not been burdened/blessed with that Patrimony, would he be remembered as a great Violinist?

[cloughie]

I assume that you meant David.
It was hard to asses Igor independently of his towering Paternal heritage. In your opinion, PG, had he not been burdened/blessed with that Patrimony, would he be remembered as a great Violinist?

Also sad that the news has taken a couple of weeks to get through - comparisons with his father has probably been a burden he lived with for many years but he was a great violinist. RIP Igor.

[pastoralguy]

I assume that you meant David.
It was hard to asses Igor independently of his towering Paternal heritage. In your opinion, PG, had he not been burdened/blessed with that Patrimony, would he be remembered as a great Violinist?

Sorry for the typo.

He’s generally regarded as a great violinist if, perhaps, lacking the last degree of subtlety that his father would bring. Oddly enough, one of the most treasured memories I have is of hearing him twice at the Edinburgh Festival where he played DSCH’s first concerto in the evening in the Usher Hall which was absolutely unbelievable. The next morning he played a Queens Hall recital where he began with Brahms A major sonata, a work that requires extreme subtlety. It was obvious, well, to me anyway, that perhaps the adrenaline from the previous evening hadn’t quite left his system. It was rather a ‘fruity’ performance!

I have a treasured signed programme from 1978 where he played the Tchaikovsky under Sir Alex Gibson and the SNO.

I think Igor felt the pressure of constantly being compared to his illustrious father and, inevitably, coming up short. Alas, I never heard David live but in comparing recordings I think David had a bit more imagination. There’s a story that shortly before performing the Beethoven concerto, Igor was anxiously singing phrases to his father over the ‘phone.

[gurnemanz]

I have an ancient Eterna LP of father and son playing the Bach double Concerto. Not in good nick and I haven't heard it for ages. Live recording under Franz Konwitschny and Gewandhaus from1957. I note Berlin Classics have re-issued it and I might be tempted.
RIP

[Bryn]

I have an ancient Eterna LP of father and son playing the Bach double Concerto. Not in good nick and I haven't heard it for ages. Live recording under Franz Konwitschny and Gewandhaus from1957. I note Berlin Classics have re-issued it and I might be tempted.
RIP

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81mHJw2PQLL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

Just the link. The image is a large one.

[Padraig]

I have an ancient Eterna LP of father and son playing the Bach double Concerto.

That's my first memory of David and Igor. I had a 10 inch LP which I lent, and lost. Since replaced - I believe it's the same recording - on a DG Classikon CD.

[Parry1912]

I had the pleasure of seeing him play DSCH 1 at the RFH with Maxim Shostakovich conducting about 20 years ago (The 2nd half was the 5th Symphony). A truly memorable evening.

[mikealdren]

That's my first memory of David and Igor. I had a 10 inch LP which I lent, and lost. Since replaced - I believe it's the same recording - on a DG Classikon CD.

I think you'll find that the Classikon CD is DG's Goossens/RPO recording from 1961. The earlier Konwitschny version is available on Regis as well as Berlin Classics; I acquired that for the Meyer violin concerto which was not available elsewhere.

I heard Igor in recital in the 1980s where he gave a rather heavy handed first half of Mozart and Beethoven and a stunning second half of virtuoso showpieces.

[pastoralguy]

I heard Igor in recital in the 1980s where he gave a rather heavy handed first half of Mozart and Beethoven and a stunning second half of virtuoso showpieces.

Yes, that sounds like fair comment, Mike. He was at his best in ‘big’ repertoire. Having said that, I invested in a set of Lp’s of him playing the complete Beethoven Sonatas where there’s more imagination than I was expecting. Mrs. Oistrakh was the superb pianist. I had then transferred to cd professionally and they came up really well. (Apart from a ‘jump’ at the beginning of the Kreutzer Sonata which obviously the most played disc in the set). Maybe they’ll be transferred to cd by Melodyia one day.

[pastoralguy]

Having looked around various websites there seems to be a lot of recordings by Igor that were never transferred to cd. As funds have allowed, I’ve bought various Igor Lps and had them transferred to cd. I keep coming across more though. Perhaps his sad death will prompt Melodyia to have an Igor Oistrakh Editition.

[richardfinegold]

Having looked around various websites there seems to be a lot of recordings by Igor that were never transferred to cd. As funds have allowed, I’ve bought various Igor Lps and had them transferred to cd. I keep coming across more though. Perhaps his sad death will prompt Melodyia to have an Igor Oistrakh Editition.

It is a side note, but I am wondering how you transfer lps to CD. Are you paying to have the service done? There are a few-very few-lps that I am interested in that apparently aren't available digitally. I think I wrote about it here but my mother in law is downsizing and I took their old Garrard tt off her hands. I was planning on replacing the cartridge but it turns out that the cartridge and tonearm are not detachable. I had the stylus retyped and tried one lp, using the Project Phono preamp with usb out, and even after applying the noise reduction software the result is fairly unlistenable.
I wonder how much of the Melodyia label was never digitalized?

[Lordgeous]

Had the great experience of seeing father and son playing the Bach Double in the Oxford Sheldonian when in my teens - and the signed programme to prove it!! I still love the Munchinger disc, albeit unfashionable now. The sublime slow movement will live with me forever. As a minor aside the father died not long before a LSO/FH concert which included a first performance of a not very good piece of mine and the concert became an In Memoriam event for David wiich included Ida H. playing (I think) the Sibelius.

[cloughie]

Had the great experience of seeing father and son playing the Bach Double in the Oxford Sheldonian when in my teens - and the signed programme to prove it!! I still love the Munchinger disc, albeit unfashionable now. The sublime slow movement will live with me forever. As a minor aside the father died not long before a LSO/FH concert which included a first performance of a not very good piece of mine and the concert became an In Memoriam event for David wiich included Ida H. playing (I think) the Sibelius.

Which Munchinger disc?

[Lordgeous]

Oooops... having a grey moment, mixing it with Malcolm's early Bach concertos. Of course I meant Goosens & RPO with Malcolm on Continuo!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DAVID-OISTRACH-Violin-Concertos-vinyl/dp/B078HVQXXN/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=david+oistrach+bach&qid=1630685191&s=music&sr=1-4