Joseph Szigeti made his London debut at the Bechstein (Wigmore) Hall as a thirteen-year-old (the public was told he was twelve). From 1907 he was based in England and his concerto debut was made with the Bach Concerto in E major and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the New Symphony Orchestra under Sir Thomas Beecham. While in Britain, until 1913, he toured with Nellie Melba and John McCormack, met Myra Hess and Ferruccio Busoni, gave the first performance of Hamilton Harty’s D minor Concerto and made his first records.

One of the most beloved and influential musical figures of the 20th century. He introduced and popularised works by many of the significant contemporary composers, among them Prokofiev, Bloch, Casella, Stravinsky, Bartók, Warlock, Martin, Cowell, Ives, Berg, Milhaud and Ravel. Were it not for Szigeti, we should also have fewer recordings of Bartók and Stravinsky as pianists: both composers were persuaded into the studio by the prospect of working with such a sympathetic musician. Szigeti was the most distinguished of a line of violinists taught by Hubay.

Johann Sebastian Bach

1. Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D Minor (16:05)

Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, Op. 23 (16:47)

2. I. Presto (5:32)
3. II. Andante scherzoso più allegretto (6:08)
4. III. Allegro molto (5:06)

Béla Bartók
Violin Rhapsody No. 1, Sz. 87 (9:07)

5. I. Lassú (4:12)
6. II. Friss (4:55)

Ernest Bloch
Violin Concerto in A Minor (34:30)

7. I. Allegro deciso (18:07)
8. II. Andante (6:10)
9. III. Deciso (10:12)

This new production features Emil Gilels in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in a live recording from 1962, first issued by Musica on LP, and Tatiana Nikolayeva in the Concert Fantasia in G Minor, Op. 56 from Melodiya’s 1952 Moscow recordings. Both have been lovingly re-mastered and restored for Alto from the original sources by engineer Paul Arden-Taylor.

“Gilels elected to play the Siloti version of the 2nd concerto … his playing is of the highest order of mastery and has the virtue of presenting the work with the freshness of a new discovery” —Penguin Guide on Gilels’ Piano Concerto No. 2

“playing of an awe-inspiring musical strength and integrity. The massive cadenza in the Concert Fantasia played with all-Russian conviction … throughout, she inflects Tchaikovsky’s sumptuously decorated melodies with a warmth and breadth known to few pianists outside Russia” —Gramophone on Nikolayeva’s Concert Fantasia

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Op. 44

1. I. Allegro brillante e molto vivace
2. II. Andante non troppo
3. III. Allegro con fuoco

Emil Gilels, piano; USSR State Symphony Orchestra; Kirill Kondrashin, conductor

Concert Fantasia in G Minor, Op. 56

4. I. Quasi Rondo
5. II. Contrastes. Andante cantabile—Molto vivace

Tatiana Nikolayeva, piano; USSR State Symphony Orchestra; Kirill Kondrashin, conductor