Concerto In Mi Minore Op.64 Per Violino E Orchestra / Romanza N°1 In Sol Magg. Op.40 / Romanza N°2 In Fa Magg. Op.50

This recording captures a significant moment in the mid-20th-century classical canon, pairing Yehudi Menuhin with the legendary conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. Issued under the La Voce Del Padrone label, this disc serves as a definitive document of the post-war musical reconciliation process, as Menuhin—an American-born violinist of Jewish descent—collaborated with Furtwängler in Berlin. The performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor is particularly historically resonant, as Mendelssohn’s music had been suppressed in Germany during the Nazi era.

The production reflects the high technical standards of HMV and its Italian affiliate, La Voce Del Padrone, during the early transition to long-playing vinyl. Menuhin’s interpretation is celebrated for its lyrical intensity and emotional maturity, qualities that solidified his reputation as one of the preeminent interpreters of the Romantic repertoire. The pairing of these concertos and romances highlights a period where the Philharmonia and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras were at the center of the recording industry’s efforts to capture definitive performances of the core symphonic and concertante repertoire.