Mischa Elman, the violinist on this album, was born in the Pale of Settlement in Ukraine, the son of klezmer musicians, and began playing violin at age 4.
Recording & Production
The Robin Hood Dell Orchestra, which accompanies Mischa Elman on Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2, is also known as the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Compositional Technique
Of the Tchaikovsky pieces on this album, only the Scherzo, Op. 42 No. 2, was originally composed for violin and piano; the others are arrangements of his other works.
Composer Biography
Henryk Wieniawski, a virtuoso violinist and composer, was also a violist in a quartet with famous violinists Joseph Joachim and Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, and cellist Alfredo Piatti.
Performer Biography
Mischa Elman, the violinist, became a 'Red Seal' artist with the prestigious Victor Recording Company after his U.S. debut in 1908, an association that lasted over four decades.
Composition History
Henryk Wieniawski composed his Légende, Op. 17, for Isabella Hampton, the English woman he fell in love with, and her parents approved their marriage after hearing the piece.
