Isaac Stern: My First 79 Years, A Musical Celebration

Ludwig van Beethoven (Composer), Johannes Brahms (Composer), Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Antonin Dvorak (Composer), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Georg Philipp Telemann (Composer), Fritz Kreisler (Composer), Felix [1] Mendelssohn (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), Milton Katims (Conductor), Daniel Barenboim (Conductor), Zubin Mehta (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra), New York Philharmonic (Orchestra), Columbia Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra, Composer), English Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra, Composer), Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra, Composer), Alexander Zakin (Performer, Composer), Sergei Prokofiev (Performer), Felix Mendelssohn (Performer), David Oistrakh (Performer), Eugene Istomin (Conductor), Leonard Rose (Orchestra), Pinchas Zukerman (Artist), Emanuel Ax (Artist), Mstislav Rostropovich (Artist), Matthias Spaeter (Artist), Zubin Mehta (Artist), Franz Liszt Academy Orchestra (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Alexander Zakin, Sergei Prokofiev, Felix Mendelssohn, David Oistrakh
• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, et al.
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy, Leonard Bernstein, Milton Katims, Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, et al.
• Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Antonio Vivaldi, Antonin Dvorak, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, et al.
• Audio CD (October 19, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000028U11
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,709 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #73 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > Sinfonia Concertante

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to the artist, October 20, 1999

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Isaac Stern: My First 79 Years, A Musical Celebration (Audio CD)

Of course the playing is magnificent, absolute magic. But does this CD serve any purpose? Very few serious collections are without some Stern offerings in which he plays the COMPLETE WORK. I emphasize those words to get to a complaint I always have with programs that consist of parts of longer works that make little musical sense detached from the context for which they were intended.

The Dvorak "Humoresque," for example, stands up very nicely as a single work; while the first movement of the Beethoven Piano Trio Op. 70 makes you anticipate the wonderful second movement which never comes. And so on and so on. So one will not purchase this for the music but for the artist.

No, I do not know how to fit on one CD a truly fitting tribute to a master musician, except by including only independent short pieces. Unhappily most artists are at their best in longer ones...and there we are again. Yes, all Stern lovers should have this as a momento; others not familiar with his artistry will find this CD a good introduction. The rest of us can seek out the complete recordings.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners, February 28, 2003

By 

David Deriso (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Isaac Stern: My First 79 Years, A Musical Celebration (Audio CD)

I am a newbie to classical music. I love this CD. I realize that it doesn't do justice to many works due to the fact that only one track is played from each work, but to people like me, this is a good starting point. From here, I now know of areas of Isaac Stern's body of work that I want to delve into. I also have a better idea of which composers I want to take a closer look at. In my opinion, for a person just starting out in classical music, this is a good "sampler" of classical violin music. It's probably not something for a serious collector due to the fact that it is a collection of previously released works. I would consider it in league with a "greatest hits" album from a rock band. It's not for serious listeners, but it's a good starting point for beginners. This is a good starting point.

5.0 out of 5 stars A WORTHY TRIBUTE TO A GREAT ARTIST, May 6, 2007

By 

RONALD CORK (BRISBANE/AUSTRALIA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Isaac Stern: My First 79 Years, A Musical Celebration (Audio CD)

ISAAC STERN WILL ALWAYS BE UNIQUE AS HE HAD A TONE AND TECHNIQUE WITH THE VIOLIN THAT DEFIES DESCRIPTION. ON THIS RECORDING LISTEN TO THE RONDO FROM BEETHOVEN'S VIOLIN CONCERTO OP 61 - IT IS SIMPLY SPINE TINGLING. ANOTHER EXAMPLE WOULD BE FRITZ KREISLER'S LIEBESLEID HOWEVER TO MY ESTIMATION THE FIRST CD RELEASE OF BEETHOVEN'S VIOLIN SONATA OP 30 NO 2 - 'ALLEGRO CON BRIO' HAS TO BE HEARD BY ANY LOVER OF THE VIOLIN AND IS IN MY OPINION ONE OF THIS GREAT ARTIST'S FINEST RECORDING - BUY THE CD JUST FOR THIS ALONE. EVERYTHING ELSE IS SUPERB SO DON'T HESITATE TO ADD THIS CD IN YOUR COLLECTION.