David Oistrakh Movies

Each presentation in the Classic Archive collection from EMI Classics features select performances from legendary classical music artists. Culled from the BBC (UK) and INF (France) archives of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, the selections are taken from various music festivals, recitals, and recording studio sessions. The original footage is carefully restored and compiled by music historians in order to present an overview of each artist's representative work. This installment features Russian violinist David Oistrakh, violinist/conductor Yehudi Menuhin and Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and a handful of their joint performances. Works by Bach (1958 and 1962), Mozart (1963), and Brahms (1965) are included. ~ Sarah Block, Rovi

This is the story of David Oistrakh, the Russian violinist referred to as "King David" in his homeland. His powerful tone, precise technique, and highly emotional style made him a worldwide legend, influencing an entire generation of players. Oistrakh, who remained in Russia his entire life (1908-1974) despite persecution for being Jewish, taught at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, and performed as a solo artist from age 20 until his death. A specialist in late Classical and Romantic works, his recordings of many Romantic masterworks, especially the Brahms Violin Concerto, are considered to be without peer. The Brahms Violin Concerto and excerpts from other works are featured in the film. There are also interviews with Oistrakh's lifelong friends and fellow musicians: Yehudi Menuhin speaks on what made Oistrakh a great violinist; Mistislav Rostropovitch talks of Oistrakh's relationship with the Soviet regime; Gidon Kremer recalls Oistrakh as a teacher; Gennady Rozhdestvensky , his conductor, recalls Oistrakh the performer; and son Igor Oistrakh recalls his father as a family man and musician. This film is an inspiring look at a man whose stated goal as an artist was to bring the rich world of classical violin music to everyday people. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

A world-renowned legend of this century, violinist David Oistrakh (1908-1974) was known in his native Soviet Union as "King David." Born in Odessa, he was one of the only Jewish violin prodigies to remain in the U.S.S.R. Oistrakh began his solo career at age 20, specializing in works of the late-Classical and Romantic periods. This program featuring the master from Odessa includes excerpts from such works as Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, Bach's Concerto for Two Violins, Prokofiev's F-Minor Sonata, violin concertos of Shostakovich and Sibelius, and a Schumann piece accompanied by piano. ~ Kathryn Tamms, Rovi

In this live classical concert captured at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on March 18, 1970, violinist David Oistrakh and pianist Sviatoslav Richter join forces to perform Ludwig van Beethoven's "Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 6 in A Major, OP. 30, No. 1" and Johannes Brahms' "Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108". An encore performance of Beethoven's "Scherzo from the Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 'Spring'" concludes the concert. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi