Arnold Rosé

Arnold Rosé shaped Viennese musical life for more than half a century. As concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1881 to 1938, he stood at the center of an era in which the Viennese string tradition of the 19th century unfolded in a particularly special way once again.

In addition to his work as an orchestral musician and leader of the Rosé Quartet, Rosé was also a distinguished soloist. The historical recordings from the years 1900 to 1910 on this album reveal a violinist with refined technique, a characteristic, restrained vibrato, and an exceptional sense of style.

The program combines works from the core repertoire of Romantic violin literature—including Karl Goldmark's Violin Concerto, Henryk Wieniawski's "Brilliant Polonaise," and Pablo de Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen" (in two recordings)—with transcriptions and arrangements by Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert, and Richard Strauss. The recordings provide an impression of a bygone violin tradition, whose tonal ideal becomes immediately perceptible through these early recordings.