Enescu's music reflects his international upbringing, blending German drama, French harmonic refinement, and the vitality of Romanian folk music.
A characteristic feature of Enescu's mature style is the avoidance of symmetry and literal repetition, constantly modifying and varying musical ideas.
Axel Strauss, the violinist on this album, was the first German artist to win the international Naumburg Violin Award in New York.
George Enescu, a Romanian-born musician, was called 'the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart' by Pablo Casals, a renowned cellist.
Enescu studied in Vienna, where he played under Johannes Brahms, and later in Paris, where his teachers included Gabriel Fauré and André Gedalge.
Enescu's music is highly complex, layering melodic lines into what a contemporary called 'a magic jungle,' often derived from simple building blocks.
Ilya Poletaev, the pianist on this album, won First Prize at the 2010 International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig.
