Tippett Quartet
John Mills (violin): My choice is from a collection of historical broadcasts by violinist Oscar Shumsky: the Grand Adage by Glazunov (arr. Zimbalist) and ‘Yesterdays’ from Roberta by Jerome Kern. Shumsky’s playing showcases a style that has all but disappeared. The height of style, charm and colour, his focussed but beautiful vibrato combines with a bow stroke that punctuates while creating a seamless line. The virtuosity goes without saying.
Jeremy Isaac Listening is essential to good music-making and I love discovering all sorts of performances, old and new. One of my favourite LPs is the 1972 recording of Rimsky-Korsakov’s by the London Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink. It is full of colour, energyFriend’s violin solos are exquisite, and his artistic licence a few minutes into ‘The Young Prince and Young Princess’ never fails to bring a smile to my face!
