David Oistrakh Essentials

As an internationally touring exemplar of Russia's classical music scene in the years after World War II, Oistrakh helped define violin playing at the midcentury. Recordings of warhorses by Bach and Tchaikovsky showed his skill in making a place for expressive vibrato alongside rhythmic precision. But Oistrakh also exhibited a facility for the era's avant-garde, playing works by Bartók, Sibelius and his friend and compatriot Shostakovich. An early part of the history of venerable labels like EMI and Deutsche Grammophon, his catalogue is every bit as formidable as it is rewarding.