From his teens onwards, Mischa Elman was regarded in his lifetime as one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. A student of the legendary Leopold Auer, Elman was one of the first of the great Russian-Jewish violinists to dominate violin playing in the 20th century. This CD – the first in a series of Elman releases from Biddulph – includes short pieces by Tchaikovsky and Wieniawski, including the latter’s Second Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.22. Made in the early 1950s, these recordings have never appeared on CD before, and vividly document Mischa Elman with his fabled luscious tone. Highlights include such favourites as Tchaikovsky’s heart-wrenching None but the Lonely Heart and nostalgic Valse sentimentale, as well as the haunting Légende and Polonaise brilliante No.1 by Wieniawski.