Michael Levin - Studio Recordings Testament Klassisk - Import 6 CD Box Set

Credits:

Michael Levin

Description:

A One-Night Concert Featuring Classical and Late Romantic Works, Distinctly Rendered with Vivid Color A 6-CD set at a special price, featuring a collection of the legendary performances left behind by Michael Levin, the young virtuoso who passed away at the age of 35. Born to a father who was a violinist with the New York Philharmonic and a mother who taught piano at Juilliard, Levin was a precocious genius who began studying with Garamian at Juilliard at the age of nine. He began recording at 12 and made his Carnegie Hall debut at 14 to great acclaim. His precocious virtuosity was reminiscent of Menuhin in his youth, and he was even hailed as the reincarnation of Heifetz; however, his grueling schedule gradually took a toll on his mental health, and his life was cut short by a tragic accident in his mid-thirties. Levin’s unparalleled masterclass in bowing, as heard in his complete recording of Paganini’s *24 Caprices* and other rare recordings, has been remastered and revived after 50 years. ■Excerpt from the liner notes By the time he signed with Capitol, Levin had already completed five albums for its parent company, EMI. His move to Capitol coincided with two other changes: the introduction of stereo recording and the acquisition of a new violin. From 1952 onward, Levin played a violin believed to be a very rare Guarneri del Gesù. Quite some time after Levin sold it, it was determined that the instrument was actually made by a pupil of Guarneri. Levin performed all of his recordings for EMI—beginning with the Paganini and Glazunov program—on this instrument. Although Levin was capable of drawing the most beautiful tones from any violin, he continued to yearn for a truly exceptional instrument. It was not until 1958 that he finally wrote the following proud letter to his close friend Louis Kaplan: “As of four days ago, I have finally acquired a Joseph (Quoted verbatim from the original letter. *Translator’s note: The maker of the Guarneri del Gesù, who is often mentioned in the same breath as Stradivari, is Bartolomeo Giuseppe Antonio Guarneri.) del Gesù. This violin looks beautiful and produces a sound that only a del Gesù can produce. It manages to combine power and beauty. “This instrument was previously owned by the famous violinist Jan Kubelik.” Less than a month after acquiring the genuine Del Gesù, Levin completed his magnum opus, Paganini’s 24 Caprices, at Capitol. …[omitted]… The self-evident truth that great art outlives its creator was finally confirmed only after Levin’s death. Fifty years after Levin first stepped into the recording studio as a Capitol Artist, we have finally obtained the latest edition of his EMI recordings. Furthermore, Testament is scheduled to release a three-CD set in 2012 featuring private recordings from Bertine Levin’s collection. (Testament SBT31470) Universal Music/IMS

Tracklisting:

1. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6: 1. Allegro maestoso
2. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6: 2. Adagio espressivo
3. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6: 3. Rondo: Allegro spirituoso
4. Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82: 1. Moderato
5. Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82: 2. Andante sostenuto
6. Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 82: 3. Allegro
7. Havanaise, Op. 83
8. Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op. 28
1. Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35: 1. Allegro moderato
2. Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35: 2. Canzonetta: Andante
3. Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35: 3. Finale: Allegro vivacissimo
4. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64: 1. Allegro molto appassionato
5. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64: 2. Andante
6. Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64: 3. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace
7. Tzigane (Rapsodie de concert)
1. Violin Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 14: 1. Allegro moderato
2. Violin Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 14: 2. Preghiera: Larghetto
3. Violin Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 14: 3. Rondo: Allegro giocoso
4. Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46: Einleitung: Grave / 1. Adagio cantabile
5. Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46: 2. Allegro - Tanz - Animato - Adagio - Tempo 1 - Adagio
6. Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46: 3. Andante sostenuto - Piu animato
7. Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46: 4. Finale: Allegro guerriero - Un poco tranquillo - Tempo 1 - Adagio - All
8. Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: 1. Adagio
9. Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: 2. Fuga: Alla breve
10. Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: 3. Largo
11. Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005: 4. Allegro assai
1. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6: 1. Allegro maestoso
2. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6: 2. Adagio espressivo
3. Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6: 3. Rondo: Allegro spirituoso
4. Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22: 1. Allegro moderato
5. Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22: 2. Romanze: Andante non troppo
6. Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22: 3. Allegro con fuoco - Allegro moderato (a la Zingara)
7. Sonata in C minor, Op. 27 No. 4: 1. Allemanda
8. Sonata in C minor, Op. 27 No. 4: 2. Sarabande
9. Sonata in C minor, Op. 27 No. 4: 3. Finale
10. Sonata in D minor, Op. 27 No. 3
1. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 1 in E
2. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 2 in B minor
3. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 3 in E minor
4. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 4 in C minor
5. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 5 in A minor
6. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 6 in G minor
7. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 7 in A
8. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 8 in E flat
9. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 9 in E
10. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 10 in G minor
11. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 11 in C
12. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 12 in A flat
13. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 13 in B flat
14. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 14 in E flat
15. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 15 in E minor
16. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 16 in G minor
17. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 17 in E flat
18. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 18 in C
19. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 19 in E flat
20. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 20 in D
21. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 21 in A
22. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 22 in F
23. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 23 in E flat
24. Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1: No. 24 in A minor