The musical world lost one of its greatest virtuosos when violinist Michael Rabin died at the age of 36 in 1972. Rabin initially studied the...

The musical world lost one of its greatest virtuosos when violinist Michael Rabin died at the age of 36 in 1972. Rabin initially studied the violin with his father, a violinist with the New York Philharmonic. Young Michael moved on to intense study with legendary violinist Ivan Galamian and made his public debut at the age of 10. By the time he was 13 he had made his Carnegie Hall debut and he'd caught the attention of the famous conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos. Mitropoulos called him 'the genius violinist of tomorrow already equipped with all that is necessary to be a great artist.'
This disc is another entry in the Masterworks Heritage series and features recordings Rabin made in the 1950s. The centerpiece of the recording is Rabin's astounding interpretation of the Op. 1 Caprices of Nicolò Paganini. Rabin's technique is stunning and features furious double stopping and rapid-fire runs. Equally breathtaking are his performances of music by Dvorak, Wieniawski, Kreisler and Bizet. The recording, like other Masterworks Heritage discs, includes photos of the artist and the original artwork from the 1950s LPs.