About this album Elmar Oliveira writes: "All of the pieces are works that I have always wanted to record. These works have particular connection to...

About this album Elmar Oliveira writes: "All of the pieces are works that I have always wanted to record. These works have particular connection to specific violinists in my memories. The Massenet Meditation from Thais, for instance, is one of the first pieces I heard the remarkably gifted Michael Rabin play. The beauty of his tone and purity of musical expression made a lasting impression on me. The transcriptions of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Ravel's Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, Achron's Hebrew Melody and Kroll's Banjo and Fiddle are pieces every serious violinist associates with the great Heifetz. No doubt those performances remain in our minds and hearts forever. In the Smetana Aus Der Heimat, as well as the Novacek Perpetuum Mobile and Mussorgsky's Hopak, I pay remembrance to a friend and mentor Nathan Milstein. These are pieces I associate exclusively with him, and his performances of these works glisten in my memory as if I heard them yesterday. And, of course, there is the great Kreisler who if not for his inimitable style and golden tone the violin world would be half empty. These are the memories I cherish and the reasons for this album. With this CD I hope that I can take my listeners back in time, to an era when one could express the special joy and uniqueness of the golden age of violin playing." 4009410974570 409410974572 Audite AUD 97457 "NOVAK, Jan