Szymon Goldberg: Milestones of a Violin Legend (10 CDs)

Szymon Goldberg, born in Poland in 1909, has left unmistakable traces in the history of music, making a name for himself internationally as an exquisite Mozart player and
chamber musician.

Goldberg was endowed with the insignia of a child prodigy and found sponsors early on who devoted themselves to the artistic development of the future genius - including Wanda Landowska, Carl Flesch and Wilhelm Furtwängler, who hired the 20-year-old Goldberg as concertmaster for his Berlin Philharmonic and took credit for having “probably the best concertmaster in Europe”. Despite energetic insistence, Furtwängler did not succeed in protecting his young Jewish protégé from the professional ban imposed by the National Socialists. In 1934 Goldberg, who had no illusions about the horrors to come, left the country head over heels and went to the USA.

Recordings of high artistic quality were made in cooperation with congenial piano partners like Lili Kraus and Arthur Balsam. Goldberg also formed a top-class and highly successful trio with the young Paul Hindemith on viola and the cellist Emanuel Feuermann. When it comes to Bach interpretation, Goldberg achieved a high reputation as a soloist and conductor alike. In the recordings of the Brandenburg Concerts with the Dutch Chamber Orchestra, which he founded in 1955, Goldberg is not only the musical director but also actively involved as a violinist – and in the case of the 6th concerto, as a viola player.

CD 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
■ Six Sonatas for Piano and Violin
(1950)
Sonata in C Major, K. 296 / C-Dur
1. I. Allegro vivace 5‘42
2. II. Andante sostenuto 5‘22
3. III. Rondeau: Allegro 4‘02
Sonata in F Major, K. 377 / F-Dur
4. I. Allegro 3‘51
5. II. Tema con variazioni: Andante 8‘25
6. III. Tempo di menuetto 4‘41
Sonata in B Flat Major, K. 378 / B-Dur
7. I. Allegro moderato 8‘22
8. II. Andantino sostenuto e cantabile
7‘28
9. III. Rondeau: Allegro 4‘14
Sonata in G Major, K. 379 / G-Dur
10. I. Adagio. Allegro 6‘55
11. II. Tema con variazioni: Andante
cantabile 8‘26
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Lili Kraus piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1934 (1-3,
10-11) 1938 (4-9)
Total Time 67‘44

CD 2
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
■ Six Sonatas for Piano and Violin
(1950) (continued / Fortsetzung)
Sonata in E Flat Major, K. 380 / Es-Dur
1. I. Allegro 6‘25
2. II. Andante con moto 9‘21
3. III. Rondo: Allegro 4‘02
Sonata in E Flat Major, K. 481/ Es-Dur
4. I. Molto allegro 6‘21
5. II. Adagio 7‘47
6. III. Tema con variazioni: Allegretto
7‘29
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Lili Kraus piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1936/37
Total Time 41‘32

CD 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
■ Violin Concertos G Major, K. 216 & D
Major, K. 218 (1952)
Violin Concerto in G Major, K. 216 /
G-Dur
1. I. Allegro 9‘15
2. II. Adagio 8‘00
3. III. Rondo: Allegro 6‘19
Violin Concerto in D Major, K. 218 /
D-Dur
4. I. Allegro 9‘20
5. II. Andante cantabile 7‘58
6. III. Rondeau: Andante grazioso 7‘30
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Philharmonia Orchester
conductor / Dirigent Walter Susskind
recorded / aufgenommen 1951
Total Time 48‘28

CD 4
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
■ Sonatas No. 1 & 2 for Violin and Piano
(1955)
Violin Sonata No.1 in G Major Op. 78 /
G-Dur
1. I. Vivace ma non troppo 9‘49
2. II. Adagio 8‘22
3. III. Allegro molto moderato 8‘35
Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major Op. 100 /
A-Dur
4. I. Allegro amabile 8‘06
5. II. Andante tranquillo. Vivace 7‘07
6. III. Allegretto grazioso (quasi
andante) 5‘16
Bonus
Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Minor Op. 108 /
d-Moll
7. I. Allegro 7‘43
8. II. Adagio 4‘55
9. III. Un poco presto e con sentimento
2‘53
10. IV. Presto agitato 5‘45
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Artur Balsam piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1953
Total Time 68‘41

CD 5
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
■ Sonata No. 5 in F Major Op. 24
« Spring »
F-Dur « Frühlingssonate » (1936)
Sonata No. 5 in F Major Op. 24 / F-Dur
1. Allegro 9‘04
2. II. Adagio molto espressivo 6‘36
3. III. Scherzo: Allegro molto 1‘11
4. IV. Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo
6‘03
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Lili Kraus piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1936
■ Sonata No. 10 in G Major Op. 96
(1936)
Sonata No. 10 in G Major Op. 96 /
G-Dur
5. I. Allegro moderato 7‘57
6. II. Adagio espressivo 5‘44
7. III. Scherzo: Allegro 1‘52
8. IV. Poco allegretto 8‘09
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Lili Kraus piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1937
Total Time 46‘41

CD 6
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
■ Sonata No. 9 in A Major Op. 47
« Kreutzer » / A-Dur (1936)
Sonata No. 9 in A Major Op. 47 / A-Dur
1. I. Adagio sostenuto. Presto 11‘11
2. II. Andante von variazioni 14‘02
3. III. Finale: Presto 6‘29
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Lili Kraus piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1936
Bonus
Paul Hindemith (1895 – 1963)
2. Trio
4. I. Mäßig schnell 7‘48
5. II. Lebhaft 6‘32
6. III. Langsam 8‘42
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Paul Hindemith viola / Viola
Emanuel Feuermann cello / Cello
recorded / aufgenommen 1934
Total Time 54‘51

CD 7
Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
■ Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor Op.
25 / g-Moll (1961)
1. I. Allegro 14‘11
2. II. Intermezzo: Allegro ma non troppo.
Trio animato 8‘54
3. III. Andante con moto 11‘04
4. IV. Rondo alla Zingarese: Presto 7‘50
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine William
Primrose viola / Viola
Nikolai Graudan cello / cello Victor
Babin piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1958

Bonus
Darius Milhaud (1892 – 1974)
5. Concertino de printemps (Les
quatres saisons) 8‘43
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine
Ensemble de Solistes des Concerts
Lamoureux
conductor / Dirigent Darius Milhaud
recorded / aufgenommen 1958
Antonín Dvořák (1841 – 1904)
6. Slavonic Dance in E Minor Op. 46,
No. 2 (arr. Kreisler) 2‘55
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine Árpád
Sándor piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1932
Total Time 53‘50

CD 8
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
■ BACH Concerto en Mi Majeur
HAYDN Concerto en D Majeur (1953)
Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV
1042 / E-Dur
1. I. Allegro 9‘04
2. II. Adagio 8‘51
3. III. Allegro assai 3‘01
Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Concerto en D Majeur (1953)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major Hob.
VIIa: 1 / C-Dur
4. I. Allegro moderato 11‘06
5. II. Adagio 5‘53
6. III. Finale: Presto 4‘14
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine Ernest
Lush harpsichord / Cembalo (1-3)
Philharmonia Orchestra conductor /
Dirigent Walter Susskind
recorded / aufgenommen 1947 (4-6)
1948 (1-3)
Bonus
Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Piano Trio in F Sharp Minor Hob. XV:
26 / Fis-Moll
7. I. Allegro 5‘50
8. II. Adagio cantabile 4‘57
9. III. Tempo di menuetto 4‘39
Piano Trio in F Sharp Minor Hob. XV:
26 / Fis-Moll
10. I. Allegro 7‘35
11. II. Andante 5‘57
12. III. Finale: Presto 3‘19
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine Lili
Kraus piano / Klavier
Anthony Pini cello / Cello recorded /
aufgenommen 1939
Total Time 74‘43

CD 9
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
■ Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-3 (1959)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV
1046 / F-Dur
1. I. Allegro 4‘19
2. II. Adagio 4‘23
3. III. Allegro 4‘21
4. IV. Menuetto 7‘48
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major, BWV
1047 / F Dur
5. I. Allegro 5‘43
6. II. Andante 4‘50
7. III. Allegro assai 3‘07
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV
1048 / G-Dur
8. I. Allegro – II. Adagio 7‘04
9. III. Allegro 5‘10
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine (Nos. 1 & 2)
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Szymon Goldberg
recorded / aufgenommen 1958
Bonus
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041 /
a-Moll
10. I. Allegro 4‘11
11. II. Andante 7‘17
12. III. Allegro assai 4‘15
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine Geraint Jones
harpsichord / Cembalo
Philharmonia Orchestra conductor / Dirigent
Walter Susskind
recorded / aufgenommen 1951
Total Time 62‘43

CD 10
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
■ Concertos Brandebourgeois Nos. 4-6 (1961)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV
1049 / G-Dur
1. I. Allegro 7‘17
2. II. Andante 4‘39
3. III. Presto 5‘12
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV
1050 / D-Dur
4. I. Allegro 10‘50
5. II. Affettuoso 6‘30
6. III. Allegro 5‘41
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B Flat Major,
BWV 1051 / B-Dur
7. I. Allegro 7‘13
8. II. Adagio non troppo 5‘52
9. III. Allegro 5‘30
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine (Nos. 4 & 5)
viola / Viola (No. 6)
The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
conductor / Dirigent Szymon Goldberg
recorded / aufgenommen 1950
Bonus
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 – 1759)
Violin Sonata in D Major Op.1, No. 13, HWV
371 / D-Dur
10. I. Affettuoso 3‘53
11. II. Allegro 2‘44
12. III. Larghetto 4‘10
13. IV. Allegro 2‘54
Szymon Goldberg violin / Violine Gerald Moore
piano / Klavier
recorded / aufgenommen 1947
Total Time 72‘39