Henryk Szeryng

Polish-born violinist Henryk Szeryng was probably the finest product of Carl Flesch's legendary teaching career (other luminaries to emerge from his studio in the years between the two World Wars include Ivry Gitlis and Ida Haendel). Possessing an iron technique and a musical intellect of rare insight, Szeryng established himself as one of the pre-eminent concert violinists of the post-World War Two decades.

Violinist Henryk Szeryng is accompanied by pianist Charles Reiner for this audiophile recording of compositional works by Bartok, Debussy, Novacek, Brahms, Marroquin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Leclair, Gluck, Vitali, and Locatelli.

Szeryng was born in 1918 to a wealthy Polish industrialist whose wife had a great love of music. Studies on the piano were abandoned for the violin, though Szeryng remained skilled at the keyboard for the rest of his life. Szeryng progressed quickly on his new instrument and by age nine was sufficiently proficient to perform the Mendelssohn concerto for famed violinist Bronislaw Hubermann, a friend of the family. On Hubermann's advice Szeryng was sent to Berlin to study with Carl Flesch; Szeryng would later declare that his technical prowess was solely due to that masterful teacher's influence. Two years later in 1933, Szeryng made his debut performance in Warsaw with the Beethoven concerto under Bruno Walter. That same year he embarked on a minor concert tour, soloing with orchestras in Bucharest, Vienna, and Paris.

The Mendelssohn and Schumann Violin Concertos were recorded in Watford Town Hall, outside London, on July 3, and 5, 1964, respectively, on half-inch 3-track tape using three 201 Telefunken microphones. They were originally released as SR90406. The Bartók, Debussy, Nováček. Brahms, Marroquin and Rimsky-Korsakov pieces were recorded in Studio A of Fine Recording in New York on February 13 and 14, 1963, on 3-track half-inch tape, using three 201 Telefunken microphones, and released on SR90367.

Violinist Henryk Szeryng is accompanied by pianist Charles Reiner for this audiophile recording of compositional works by Bartok, Debussy, Novacek, Brahms, Marroquin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Leclair, Gluck, Vitali, and Locatelli.

Violinist Henryk Szeryng is accompanied by pianist Charles Reiner for this audiophile recording of compositional works by Bartok, Debussy, Novacek, Brahms, Marroquin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Leclair, Gluck, Vitali, and Locatelli.

Violinist Henryk Szeryng is accompanied by pianist Charles Reiner for this audiophile recording of compositional works by Bartok, Debussy, Novacek, Brahms, Marroquin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Leclair, Gluck, Vitali, and Locatelli.

These performances of Fritz Kreisler's Violin Works by violinist Henryk Szeryng and pianist Charles Reiner are outstanding…! Feature rarely recorded compositions by Leclair, Gluck and Locatelli, which are ever bit as enjoyable as the well-known works by Kreisler!