Bach, J S: Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D minor, BWV1004: Chaconne

                Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: I. Adagio

                 Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV1006

                 Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, BWV1041: I. [Allegro] Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai

                 Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV1042

                 Concerto for Oboe & Violin in C minor, BWV1060 Evgeny Nepalo (oboe)

Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances for piano, Sz. 56, BB 68 Abram Makarov (piano)

             Violin Sonata No. 1, BB 84, Sz. 75 Hephzibah Menuhin (piano)

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47 ‘Kreutzer': Presto Hephzibah Menuhin (piano)

                    Violin Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96

                    Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 The USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov

Bloch, E: Nigun (Baal Shem No. 2) Lev Oborin (piano)

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108

Debussy: Violin Sonata Lev Oborin (piano)

               Préludes - Book 1: No. 8, La fille aux cheveux de lin Abram Makarov (piano)

Dvorak: Slavonic Dance No. 10 in E minor, Op. 72 No. 2 Abram Makarov (piano)

Franck, C: Violin Sonata in A major Lev Oborin (piano)

Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 35 in A major, K526: III. Presto Hephzibah Menuhin (piano)

             Violin Sonata No. 33 in E flat major K481: II. Adagio

             Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K219 'Turkish' Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai

Novácek, O: Perpetuum mobile - Concert Caprice Op. 5 No. 4 Abram Makarov (piano)

Saint-Saëns: Introduction & Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28 Abram Makarov (piano)

Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 Abram Makarov (piano)

For the 100th anniversary of the birth of Yehudi Menuhin, one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century, Firma Melodiya presents a set of historic recordings of his concerts in Moscow in 1945 and 1962.
Yehudi Menuhin had a special place had in store for him in the constellation of brilliant violinists of the previous century. He gave his first concert when he was seven years old, debuted with an orchestra at ten, and became famous across the world after his triumphant debut in Berlin at thirteen. Despite the hand illness he went through at the height of his performing career, Menuhin continued to perform as actively until the late 1980s. “As the years go by, his art is getting warmer and more humane, continuing to remain wise in Menuhin’s way,” wrote Lev Raaben, a Soviet researcher of violin art.
A son of Russian emigrant parents, Yehudi Menuhin visited this country several times. His first tour in November 1945 was an important event. It was the first time when a musician from the allied state came to the USSR. His chamber concerts were accompanied by the pianist Lev Oborin and the concertmaster Abram Makarov.
He alternated large-scale pieces – sonatas by Franck and Debussy, and Bach’s Chaconne – with miniatures by Sarasate, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky and Bloch.
Menuhin came to the USSR again in 1962 with a more extensive tour programme. This time around, his sister Hephzibah Menuhin was his ensemble partner. Their duet was formed in the mid-1930s and became one of the best ensembles in the history of 20th century performing art. The names of Mozart and Brahms were in their concert along with Bartók, a composer considered by Menuhin the greatest creator of the 20th century.
Accompanied in Moscow by the USSR State Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov, Yehudi Menuhin also performed Beethoven’s concerto, one of the crowing pieces of his repertoire in Moscow. The programme with Rudolf Barshai’s Moscow Chamber Orchestra included concertos by Bach and Mozart. Although technically imperfect, the phonograms of Menuhin’s Moscow concerts of 1945 and 1962 are still priceless phonographic documents of the era. Some of the featured recordings have not been previously released.