Albert Sammons

Although scarcely a celebrity outside the United Kingdom, Albert Sammons was regarded by many fellow musicians and critics as the finest violinist ever to have been produced by England. A bold, yet sensuous tone, phrasing that was both virile and freely rhapsodic, and keen musicality all met in a man whose intensity set ablaze many a solo score. In addition, he was an excellent concertmaster for several prominent British orchestras, taking from the experience a mastery of ensemble and interplay. Sammons made a fine recording of the Elgar Violin Concerto. Frederick Delius wrote his violin concerto for Sammons, who premiered the work in 1919. His 1944 recording of that work, remastered and re-released by Naxos in a 2002 pairing with the Elgar, reveals his full dimension as an artist.