Isaac Stern - The Essential Isaac Stern (2008)

Isaac Stern may have begun his career as "just" a virtuoso of the violin, but his legacy exists as so much more. A consummate and passionate musician if there ever was one, he was also an ambassador of classical music to the American people, the savior of Carnegie Hall, and a mentor to countless students. This two-disc set entitled The Essential Isaac Stern reveals but the tip of the iceberg of his legacy. The first disc is devoted to single movements of eight of his appearances with orchestra, in particular the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, with whom he had a long-standing, highly successful relationship. The works selected do not entirely reflect the breadth of his repertoire. The same is true of the second disc, which focuses on his many chamber music recordings with some of the greatest musicians of the last century, including Pablo Casals, Leonard Rose, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Yo-Yo Ma to name but a few. In all cases, what listeners will hear is the very essence of Stern: not a technically flawless performer (though his technical prowess in his earlier years was unrivaled), but a musician with a deep understanding of the music at hand and a unique ability to convey its emotional content to his listeners. The only possible downside to this collection is that it only gives bits and pieces of larger works; in many cases, this will leave listeners wanting more and certainly seeking the complete recordings of this distinguished master.