The Past Reborn: Recordings of a Lifetime
Oscar
Shumsky was a musician’s violinist as much as he was a violinist’s
violinist. Although his career never achieved the star status enjoyed by
some of the more aggressively marketed artists of his generation, Shumsky
was revered by professional musicians as well as by the concert public
that did have the chance to hear him. Oscar Shumsky was likewise revered
by his students, and by anyone who had the chance to hear him in a casual
setting.
Vestige Classics, the label organized by Shumsky's son Eric, himself a
well-regarded violist, last year released a CD which bears testament to
the elder Shumsky's gifts. Oscar Shumsky - A Life Portrait is a compendium
of live recordings never before released, chronologically covering most of
the violinist's career. The CD opens with eloquent introductory notes
narrated by Eric Shumsky. The first selection is an astonishing reading of
the first
movement of the Beethoven Concerto with the Curtis Orchestra and Fritz
Reiner recorded in 1938. This example of Oscar Shumsky playing the deepest
of masterworks at 21 years old is astonishing in it's vibrancy,
excitement, beauty, and violinistic brilliance. The playing is
so thrillingly in command, so tremendously deep interpretively, and so
full of successfully navigated
performance risk, that the listener can be completely transported by the
performance, despite substantial flaws in the fidelity. The Viotti
Concerto number 22, recorded in 1948 with pianist William Sokolov is
textbook brilliant violin playing and an example of Shumsky's uncanny
ability to take a rather stock, if beautifully crafted piece of the
repertoire, and turn it into a spellbinding performance. An excerpt from
Swan Lake, the famous Act 2 Pas d'action recorded around 1955 is
absolutely heart wrenching. The Bach Chaconne recorded in 1967 is also
wonderful, both violinistically and stylistically. Shumsky's playing in
Bach is robust, romantic and tasteful at all times even if puritans among
us would classify the approach as uninformed as to period style. But
violin mavens usually steer clear of this debate. Shumsky's Bach
represents an equally satisfying alternative to the urbane romanticism of
the Milstein approach, which many consider the standard in Bach played on
modern violin. The CD is rounded out
with two more excellent recordings: Mozart B Flat Duo recorded in 1983
with Eric Shumsky, and the Dhonanyi Ruralia Hungarica Opus 32 C, recorded
in 1993 with Seymour Lipkin on piano.
Oscar Shumsky - A Life Portrait is notable for both it's high points
and for the overall consistent quality of the playing and music-making.
The one
criticism which one could make (and for which the liner notes apologize)
is the low fidelity of many of the recordings. There is surface noise
present in
many recordings, especially the Beethoven Concerto, and the Tchaikovsky is
not quite at pitch, making it difficult for those with perfect pitch to
listen with comfort. But these are small criticisms in the context of a CD
which violin fans are lucky to have.
The overall impression that emerges after listening to this CD is that of an
artist possessed of unflagging violinistic and musical integrity, as well
as inspiration. This is
truly great artist who never sold out to the violin or the music
business. In short, Oscar Shumsky was a model violinist and musician.
Through these and other recordings future generations of players will have the opportunity to emulate Oscar Shumsky's mastery and integrity. Thank you
Eric Shumsky for giving the world the opportunity to hear more of this
amazing artistry! ###
Ralph
Wolin
Oscar
Shumsky - A Life Portrait,
Oscar Shumsky, violin
$16.95
Vestige Classics, Inc
5400 Glenwood
Chicago, IL 60640
vestige@aol.com
Ralph
Wolin is a violinist, and an avid and serious collector of recorded music.