Oistrakh was only 15 when Prokofiev's 1st Violin Concerto was premiered in 1923 by Marcel Darrieux and Koussevitsky at the Paris Opera, but he presented it on his 1926 graduation concert at the Odessa Conservatory and became one of its most renowned champions. There is a famous anecdote, recounted in the liner notes, by which Oistrakh, playing the scherzo in front of the composer on the occasion of a post-concert reception in 1927, was chastised by Prokofiev who came up to the piano to show him the proper way to play it. That didn't prevent the two from becoming close friends, and Oistrakh premiered the composer's two Violin and Piano Sonatas (it was even his insistent prompting that initiated the second, a transcription of Prokofiev's Flute Sonata).
So there is a special authority of any Prokofiev interpretation by Oistrakh. He made two studio recordings of the 1st Concerto: this one from 1954 for HMV with Lovro von Matacic, and one for Melodiya, a year before, with Kondrachin conducting (I have it on a Monitor CD, David Oistrakh plays Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. Op. 99 - Leningrad Philharmonic with Eugene Mravinsky and Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 Op. 19 - State Radio Orchestra with Kiril Kondrashin, but it has just been reissued on a cheap and convenient3-CD "Original Masters" DG set with more concerto recordings from that era, Cons & Encores); it is apparently that same recording, also published on 78rpms in the Soviet Union at the time, that is sometimes published falsely crediting the composer himself as conductor. There are also a handful of live recordings, including the earliest Oistrakh testimony in that composition, with Kubelik and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1947, which comes unfortunately in dismal sound (see my review of Concertos - Liszt/Prokofiev/Khachaturian).
Interpretively there is not much to choose between both studio recordings. The reading with Matacic is slightly more spacious, in the context of an approach which is already (in the outer movements) very spacious and long-breathed. It is illuminating here to compare the way Oistrakh phrases the first section of the first movement ("sognando" is Prokofiev's expressive mark: dreamy) with Nathan Milstein, who recorded the Concerto with Vladimir Golschmann for Capitol a few months before (now on the Introuvables set, Les Introuvables Nathan Milstein). There is an undercurrent of urgency and unrest in Milstein's dream. Oistrakh is serene. The ample phrase (cantabile) at the beginning of the finale exudes a radiant lyrical beauty. And I would suggest that it is not only a matter of interpretive choice: no doubt, with his ample and juicy tone, Oistrakh CAN be more spacious and serene, where Milstein's leaner tone compels him to pace faster. But don't infer that Oistrakh conveys an impression of lacking animation. On the contrary, he can superbly roughen his tone in the scherzo passages, and his pizzicattis at 6:04 are explosive and raw (5:19 for Milstein). HMV's recording sounds less spacious than Monitor's reissue of the one from Melodiya, but affords more orchestral details to come through (not the important tuba theme at 4:22 in the finale, unfortunately), which is a reason to marginally prefer it. Either recording, or both even, are basic building blocks in a Prokofiev library.
If the number of available recordings (studio or live) is to serve as a pointer, Oistrakh surprisingly kept aloof of the 2nd Violin Concerto: this one, made in 1958 with Alceo Galliera, is the only recording there is, no live one has surfaced. I don't think it has anything to do with the piece itself, which I find remarkably similar to the first, despite the near twenty years that separate their composition. But it may have had with the fact that Heifetz made the premiere recording, with Koussevitsky leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1937, a recording which to this day remains a reference (it was reissued by Biddulph, Heifetz Plays Strauss (Violin Sonata op. 18), Sibelius (Violin Concerto), Prokofiev (Violin Concerto 2), and by BMG, Heifetz Collection, Volume 4 - 1935-1939, both lamentably gone now). I can imagine that, even for Oistrakh, it would be intimidating to measure up to such a glowing achievement.
But Oistrakh does, and precisely, by NOT competing directly with Heifetz: rather, he takes a widely different view from the Lithuanian-born violinist, a (not surprisingly) much broader and lyrical one. Both approaches work, I find, and the two versions are complementary, giving alternative and equally valid views: both belong to any basic Prokofiev collection. What both have in common, in their own diverging way, is a very organic sense of the tempo changes in the first movement, which they attain by NOT (unlike about all subsequent virtuosos, including Stern and Perlman) exaggerating the contrasts of tempo - Heifetz by remaining always fast, Oistrakh by not taking every opportunity to slam the gas pedal. Oistrakh's slow movement has its moments of genuine passion, but it is also tender, evoking the song a mother would sing to her child rather than Heifetz' ardent amorous confession (truth is, compared to Heifetz there are passages in which Oistrakh comes dangerously close of sounding a bit too placid, especially at 4:10). Again he plays with radiant tone throughout, and the orchestral details come out clearly, in early stereo sound, affording in particular fine dialogues between violins and violas. There are two ugly tape splices at 8:47 in the first movement and 2:02 in the finale, the latter even cutting off a beat of orchestral music.
As with the 2nd Violin Concerto, and despite his role in the work's inception, Oistrakh left only this studio recording of the 2nd Violin Sonata; according to Paul Geffen's invaluable discography, available on the net, there are six, studio or live, of the first. Anyway, as dedicatee and first performer Oistrakh has unique authority here, and his ample lyricism suits the work's bitter-sweet mood well. The recording is mono from 1956, lacking a bit in presence.
This CD offers more logical couplings than Testament's earlier reissues (Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole, Etc. and David Oistrakh Plays Violin Sonatas By Prokofiev, K. Khachaturian & Szymanowski). Excellent notes by David Gutman, generous TT of near 73 minutes. These recordings are by all means historical and belong to any serious Prokofiev and/or Oistrakh collection.
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