Nathan Milstein & Arthur Balsam

Nathan Milstein was born in Odessa, Ukraine, in 1904. A virtuosic violinist, Milstein made his US debut in 1929 with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He later settled in New York City and became an American citizen. On the first side here is his wonderful interpretation of Bach’s Ciaccona. Using the general architecture of Ferdinand David’s arrangement of the piece from the 19th century, Milstein reaches a peak in the second major part, in an exciting and frenzied progression, that shows impressive control of bow speed and vibrato. An emotional and impressive player and interpreter, Milstein’s performance of Bach’s Ciaccona, Partita in D minor for solo violin presented here is one of the finest performances of his long and storied career. On the B side, Milstein is joined by the noted pianist Arthur Balsam for a recital of Beethoven’s Spring: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F maj. Milstein’s playing speaks volumes, resulting in a wonderful recital. Though he may not be a household name, Milstein is a hero who deserves a place in the annals of classical music history.