LEONID KOGAN • TCHAIKOVSKY • 1960 STEREO BLUE & SILVER LP COLUMBIA SAX 2323

$

2,500

• CONCERTO IN D MAJOR, OP. 35 •
First Movement : Allegro moderato - Cadenza - Allegro moderato

• CONCERTO IN D MAJOR, OP. 35 •
Second Movement : Canzonetta (andante)
Third Movement : Finale (Allegro vivacissimo)

• MEDITATION IN D MINOR, OP. 42 •

ONE  OF  THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY’S GREATEST  VIOLINISTS,  LEONID KOGAN  WAS  LESS
WIDELY   KNOWN  THAN   HIS   SOMEWHAT   OLDER  CONTEMPORARY   DAVID  OISTRAKH,    BUT
NO  LESS   A   FIRST-TIER   ARTIST.   MORE   CONCENTRATED   IN   TONAL   FOCUS   AND   WITH  A
QUICKER  VIBRATO  THAN  OISTRAKH  AND  OTHERS  OF  THE  RUSSIAN  SCHOOL,   KOGAN  WAS
AVOWEDLY   A   MAN   OF   HIS   TIME   ...  HIS   ESPOUSAL   OF   THE   FOUR-OCTAVE   SCALE   FOR
EXERCISES    ASSURED   THE   INFALLIBILITY   OF   HIS   TECHNIQUE   BY   STRENGTHENING   HIS
FINGERING   HAND   IN   THE   UPPER   POSITIONS.      ALTHOUGH   HIS   WERE   NOT   ESPECIALLY
MUSICAL   PARENTS,   KOGAN  CONCEIVED  A  FASCINATION  FOR  THE  VIOLIN  BY  AGE  THREE.
AT SIX,  HE  BEGAN  LESSONS  WITH  PHILIP  YAMPOLSKY,   A  PUPIL  OF  LEOPOLD  AUER.   WHEN
KOGAN’S   FAMILY   MOVED   TO   MOSCOW   WHEN  HE   WAS   TEN, HE   BEGAN   STUDIES   WITH
ABRAM  YAMPOLSKY. KOGAN  PROGRESSED   THROUGH   THE   CENTRAL   SCHOOL   OF   MUSIC,
THEN   THE   MOSCOW   CONSERVATORY, WHERE   HE   TRAINED   FROM  1943   TO   1948  ---  POST-
GRADUATE   STUDIES   AT   THE   CONSERVATORY   OCCUPIED   HIM   FROM   1948  UNTIL 1951...AT
AGE 12,  KOGAN  WAS  HEARD  BY  VIOLINIST  JACQUES  THIBAUD, WHO   PREDICTED   A   GREAT
CAREER FOR HIM. ALTHOUGH  HIS  PARENTS RESISTED EXPLOITING  THEIR  SON AS A PRODIGY,
KOGAN MADE  HIS  DEBUT  AT  17  AND PERFORMED  IN  MANY SOVIET  VENUES  WHILE  STILL  A
STUDENT. WIDER  RECOGNITION  CAME   WHEN   KOGAN  SHARED   FIRST   PRIZE   AT   THE   1947
PRAGUE WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL. IN  1951, HE  WON  FIRST  PRIZE  AT  THE  QUEEN  ELISABETH
COMPETITION  IN  BRUSSELS.  OISTRAKH,  WHO  WAS  A  MEMBER  OF  THE  JURY  (ALONG  WITH
THIBAUD),  THEREAFTER CAME TO REGARD KOGAN AS A COLLEAGUE, WHILE KOGAN CLOSELY
OBSERVED  HIS  ELDER  ASSOCIATE  DURING   THE   LATTER’S  EVENING  CLASSES   FOR   OTHER
STUDENTS - - AFTER   TEACHING   AT   THE   MOSCOW CONSERVATORY   AND   PLAYING   A   BUSY
SCHEDULE OF CONCERTS  IN  THE  SOVIET UNION OVER  THE  NEXT  FEW  YEARS, KOGAN MADE
HIS  FIRST  APPEARANCES  IN  PARIS  AND  LONDON  IN  1955, FOLLOWING THOSE  WITH  A  TOUR
OF  SOUTH  AMERICA  IN  1956  AND  ANOTHER  OF  THE  UNITED STATES  IN  1957 . . . THIS  ALBUM
WAS  RECORDED WITH  THE  PARIS CONSERVATOIRE  ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY CONSTANTIN
SILVESTRI  AND  RELEASED  IN  1960. THIS ORIGINAL STEREO  PRESSING IS IN STRONG LOOKING CONDITION WITH NO MARKS OR SCRATCHES...IMPECCABLE LIGHT  BLUE  AND  SILVER  LABELS
WITH  FULL LUSTER ON THE THE PLAYING FIELD–PLAYS WITH FEINT BACKGROUND NOISE AND
AND  A  FEW  MILD CLICKS  MAINLY AUDIBLE ON QUIET PASSAGES ON SIDE ONE.   COVER  WITH
GLOSSY LAMINATED FRONT SIDE AND FLIPBACKS ON REAR  IS  FREE OF WRITING.  COME WITH
ITS  “EMI”  INNER  BAG. MATRIX  NUMBERS  IN  THE  DEAD  WAX  :   YLX-1048-8  /  YLX-1049-8.