Description
Russian-born Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010) was possibly the most famous viola player of all time. He performed as a soloist and in chamber groups with Shostakovich, Richter, Oistrakh and Rostropovich and later with Kogan and Gilels. He won numerous Soviet and international competitions.
He was the founding violist of the Borodin Quartet in 1945 and was a member until 1953.
In 1955, Barshai formed and led the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, a superb ensemble, which soon became internationally famous until he emigrated to the West in 1977. He was the artistic director of the Israel Chamber Orchestra from 1977 to 1981.
Barshai was music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (1981-1982), principal guest conductor of Orchestre National de France (1985-86) and music director of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (1982-88).
In addition, Barshai achieved fame as a musical interpreter and arranger of Shostakovich’s and Prokofiev’s music as well as a pioneer of the composer Alexander Lokshin. He was particularly noted for his arrangement of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No.8 for chamber orchestra and recorded a number of Shostakovich’s works, including the world premiere recording of the composer’s Fourteenth Symphony in 1969.
In 2000, Barshai produced a completion of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony. Many of his recordings have earned critical acclaim and have won international awards in including the 1988 Gramophone Award, as well as awards for the complete Shostakovich Symphonies.
Composers
Albinoni, Tomaso (1671-1751)
Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685–1750)
Bartók, Béla (1881–1945)
Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770–1827)
Boccherini, Luigi (1743-1805)
Borodin, Alexander Porfiryevich (1833-87)
Britten, Benjamin (1913–76)
Bunin, Revol (1924–76)
Casadesus, Henri Gustave (1879-1947)
Chopin, Frédéric François (1810-49)
Debussy, Claude Achille (1862–1918)
Dvořák, Antonín (1841–1904)
Fauré, Gabriel Urbain (1845–1924)
Forsyth, Cecil (1870–1941)
Grieg, Edvard Hagerup (1843–1907)
Handel, George Frideric (1685–1759)
Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732–1809)
Hindemith, Paul (1895–1963)
Khandoshkin, Ivan Yevstafyevich (1747-1804)
Kryukov, Vladimir (1863-1937)
Lokshin, Alexander Lazarevich (1920-87)
Mahler, Gustav (1860–1911)
Martinů, Bohuslav (1890–1959)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-91)
Prokofiev, Sergei Sergeievitch (1891-1953)
Purcell, Henry (1659-95)
Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937)
Schubert, Franz Peter (1797–1828)
Schumann, Robert (1810–56)
Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906–75)
Stravinsky, Igor Feodorovich (1882-1971)
Tartini, Giuseppe (1692–1770)
Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyich (1840-93)
Tippett, Michael Kemp (1905–98)
Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741)
Works
Albinoni: Concerto for five instruments in B flat major, Op. 5 No. 1
Albinoni: Concerto for five instruments in D major, Op. 5 No. 3
Bach, J S: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV1049
Bach, J S: Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV1043
Bach, J S: Partita for solo violin No. 2 in D minor, BWV1004
Bach, J S: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, BWV1041
Bach, J S: Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major, BWV1042
Bartók: Divertimento for Strings, Sz. 113
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59 No. 1 ‘Rasumovsky No. 1’
Beethoven: String Trio in E flat major, Op. 3
Beethoven: String Trio in G major, Op. 9 No. 1
Boccherini: Symphony No. 16 in E flat, G510 (Op 35 No. 2)
Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 in D major
Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4
Bunin, R: Viola Concerto in G major, Op. 22
Bunin, R: Viola Sonata in D minor, Op. 26
Chopin: Étude Op. 25 No. 2 in F minor
Debussy: En bateau (from Petite Suite)
Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de lin (from Préludes – Book 1: No. 8)
Debussy: Petite Suite
Debussy: Préludes – Book 1
Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 ‘From the New World’
Fauré: Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor Op. 15
Forsyth, C: Celtic Song
Grieg: Lyric Pieces III (6), Op. 43
Grieg: To Spring (from Lyric Pieces Op. 43)
Handel: Viola Concerto
Haydn: Keyboard Concerto No. 11 in D major, HobXVIII:11
Haydn: Symphony No. 49 in F minor ‘La Passione’
Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D major ‘London’
Hindemith: Sonata for Solo Viola, Op. 25 No. 1
Hindemith: Trauermusik
Khandoshkin: Viola Concerto
Kryukov: Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 15
Lokshin: Symphony No. 4 ‘Sinfonia Stretta’
Lokshin: Symphony No. 5 ‘Shakespeare’s Sonnets’ for baritone, string orchestra and harp
Lokshin: Trois Scènes du Faust de Goethe
Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Mahler: Symphony No. 10 in F sharp major
Martinů: Divertimento H173
Martinů: Serenade No. 4 (Divertimento) for Violin, Viola & Chamber Orchestra, H. 215
Mozart: Divertimento in D major, K136
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K467 ‘Elvira Madigan’
Mozart: Rondo for Piano & Orchestra in D major, K382
Mozart: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in C, K373
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola & Orchestra in E flat major, K364
Mozart: Symphony No. 10 in G major, K74
Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A major, K201
Mozart: Symphony No. 35 in D major, K385 ‘Haffner’
Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K219 ‘Turkish’
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet – Suite No. 1, Op. 64a
Purcell: Phantasies for string orchestra (2)
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
Schubert: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, D485
Schumann: Märchenbilder (4), Op. 113
Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op. 110a
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 3 in F major, Op. 73
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op. 83
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 14 in G minor, Op. 135
Stravinsky: Apollon musagète
Stravinsky: Concerto in D for string orchestra ‘Basler’
Tartini: Cello Concerto in A major
Tchaikovsky: Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11
Tippett: Concerto for double string orchestra
Tippett: Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage
Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin & Cello in B flat minor, RV 547
Vivaldi: Concerto RV 319 for violin, 2 oboes & bassoon
Vivaldi: Concerto, Op. 3 No. 10 ‘Con quattro Violini e Violoncello obligato’, RV 580
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Autumn, RV293
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Spring, RV269
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Summer, RV315
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: Winter, RV297
Conductors
Barshai, Rudolf
Groups & Artists
Allen, Thomas
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Ensemble Resonanz
Gilels, Emil
Kogan, Leonid
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
Moscow Chamber Orchestra
Nesterenko, Yevgeny
Nikolayeva, Tatiana
Oistrakh, David
Rostropovich, Mstislav
Shostakovich, Dmitri
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln