Here's a special record by one of the greatest, and most respected, teachers and performers of the last century, Roman Totenberg. From time to time, I'm privileged to offer music by musicians who have given much to the City of Boston and Totenberg is right up there with the very best of them. On this MHS record, Totenberg performs violin concertos of Pisendal, Handel, Fasch and Heinichen. He is able supported by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra under the Bulgarian conductor Zlatko Topolski. These stereo performances were recorded around 1966 or 67.
Roman Totenberg is happily still with us as he approaches his 101st birthday! Totenberg was a student of the great pedagogue Carl Flesch and he embraced the latter's views that violinists are not merely skilled virtuosos, but creative, thinking, organic artists. Certainly, the repertoire chosen for this lp was not conceived as a virtuoso display but rather has an intelligent, educational exercise on the development of the violin as a solo instrument during the baroque period. This is not to say that Totenberg plays these rare pieces as exercises - he treats them in an intelligent, musical way by using his knowledge and skill in the position as advocate for this music. Totenberg's beautiful tone and sure phrasing make this record a sincere pleasure to listen to and he makes the best possible case for these "lost" concertos.
I'm so happy I rescued this lp from the 50 cent bin!
DOWNLOAD PART 1
DOWNLOAD PART 2
