VC DESERT ISLAND DOWNLOADS | Pinchas Zukerman - '5 Recordings I Can't Live Without'

The Violin Channel recently caught up with violin and viola virtuoso Pinchas Zukerman - for a fun game of VC Desert Island Downloads. 

We sat him down to pick his brain on which 5 CD recordings he would take with him to a deserted island - and how the tracks have helped shape him as a musician.

1. Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto - Performed by Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

"There's a reason this is number one ... I think no violinist who came of age in the 20th century can hear the name Heifetz without remembering 'that Heifetz moment' that inspired them"

Brahms/Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos |CD|

Jascha Heifetz

Fritz Reiner & Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Release Date: July 26, 2005

Sony Classical

2. Kabalevsky Violin Concerto - Performed by David Oistrakh, Dmitri Kabalevsky and the State Symphony Orchestra of Russia 

"As a young man this was a revelation ... and the 45' preserved the sound so organically"

Glazunov/Kabalevsky: Violin Concertos |CD|

David Oistrakh

Kirill Kondrashin and Dmitri Kabalevsky

State Symphony Orchestra of Russia

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Omega Vanguard

3. Mendelssohn Violin Concerto - Performed by Isaac Stern, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra

"Stern was my personal mentor ... and always a favorite to listen to"

Mendelssohn/Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos |CD|

Isaac Stern

Eugene Ormandy & Philadelphia Orchestra

Release Date: May 13, 1986

CBS Records

4. The Complete Beethoven String Quartets - Performed by the Budapest String Quartet 

"These were some of the best listening hours of my life"

The Complete Beethoven String Quartets |BOX SET|

Budapest String Quartet

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Sony Classical

5. Chopin Polonaises - Performed by Arthur Rubinstein 

"Just a pure delight ..."

The Chopin Collection: 7 Polonaises |CD|

Arthur Rubinstein

Release Date: October 25, 1990

RCA Red Seal