Milstein was a Ukrainian-born American virtuoso violinist.
Being a contemporary of the great Heifetz might have seemed an undue burden to some violinists, but Milstein rose to the challenge.
In his early days, he toured Russia with Horowitz, and toward the end of his life he recorded some of the best solo violin I have heard. The recordings of Bach Sonatas and Partitas are especially astounding in my opinion.
One reviewer said of his Bach recordings, “His style is a lethal combination of technical accuracy with emotional depth.”
There is also a very good two-part documentary on YouTube called “Master of Invention.” It was this film and seeing and hearing Milstein, quite late in life, perform these solo pieces that led me to this wonderful discovery of recorded gold. The journey of his long and storied life is also well essayed in this two part documentary.
I am always on the lookout for new inspiration and seeing a man in his eighties play with such élan is nothing short of inspirational.
My new passion.