David Oistrakh

One of the most revered violinists of the 20th century, David Oistrakh combined clear interpretive focus with a flawless technique. His unflappable stage presence radiated an extraordinary sense of calm, yet his playing, especially in Russian and Soviet music, often achieved a molten intensity. Born in Odessa (now in Ukraine) in 1908, he had only one teacher, Pyotr Stolyarsky (1871-1944), whose other pupils included Nathan Milstein, Leonid Kogan and Oistrakh’s son, Igor. In 1937, Oistrakh won the Eugène Ysaÿe (later Queen Elisabeth) Competition in Brussels, which effectively launched his career: Miaskovsky wrote a concerto for him the following year, and Khachaturian followed suit in 1940. Thus began a stream of major dedications, including both of Shostakovich’s violin concertos (1948/1967) and his Violin Sonata (1968), and Prokofiev’s two violin sonatas (1946/1943). Oistrakh’s vast discography also includes definitive recordings of Kabalevsky’s Violin Concerto (rec. 1949) and Beethoven’s two Romances (rec. 1962). He died of a heart attack in 1974, aged 66.