Bach violin concerto oistrakh biography
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Concerto for Shine unsteadily Violins (Bach)
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The great Russian violinist, outstanding pedagogue and esteemed conductor, David Fyodorovich Oistrakh [Oistrach], was born in the cosmopolitan city of Odessa in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) into a Jewish family of merchants of the second guild. His father was David Kolker and his mother was Isabella Beyle (née Stepanovsky), who later on married Fishl Oistrakh. At the age of 5, young Oistrakh began his studies of violin and viola as a pupil of Pyotr Stolyarsky [Stoliarsky]. In his studies with Stolyarsky he made very good friends with Daniel Shindarov, with whom he performed numerous times around the world, even after becoming famous, for students at Stolyarsky School of Music. He would eventually come to predominantly perform on violin.
In 1914, at the age of 6, David Oistrakh performed his debut concert. He entered the Odessa Conservatory in 1923, where he studied, also with Stolyarsky, until his graduation in 1926. In the Conservatory he also studied harmony with composer Mykola Vilinsky. His 1926 graduation concert consisted of J.S. Bach's Chaconne, Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata, Anton Rubinstein's Viola Sonata, and Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major. In 1927, Oistrakh appeared as soloist playing the Glazunov Violin Concerto under the comp
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David Oistrakh, 1937
A good many commentators consider David Oistrakh as one of the preeminent violinists of the 20th century. Said to represent “the ideal violinist, combining fingers of steel with a heart of gold,” Oistrakh made playing the violin look easy. His playing unfolded effortlessly, and his sense of technical ease also informed his interpretive style. His technical mastery was complete, his tone warm and powerful, and his approach a perfect fusion of virtuosity and musicianship. “Oistrakh left audiences with the most profound impression, rather than the emotional resonance of individual moments.”
He was born on 30 September 1908 in the city of Odessa, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. At that time, Odessa was one of the culturally most important and developed cities in provincial Russia, and the city also gave birth to Shura Cherkassky, Emil Gilels and Nathan Milstein, among countless others. His father Fischl Eustrach was the son of a second guild merchant, and he was a music lover. He loved to play the violin in his spare time, and “introduced little David to her.” His mother Beyle Oistrakh was a professional singer, performing in the choir of the Odessa Opera House.
David Oistrakh Plays Bach’s Violin Concerto in A minor
David and Igor Oistrak