AllMovie

This 2005 classical release presents a series of archival performances by violinist extraordinaire Yehudi Menuhin, done at the Charlie Chaplin Studios in 1947 for one of the first theatrical concert films in U.S. history, Concert Magic (1948). Several were featured in the final release; one, of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, actually constitutes an outtake, excised from the 65-minute work due to the producers' concerns over length. Selections (in addition to the Mendelssohn include: Hungarian Dance No. 4 in F sharp minor by Brahms, with Antal Doráti on the piano; Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor by Brahms, with Adolph Baller on the piano; Spanish Dances, Op. 21, Nos. 1 & 2 by Sarasate; and Calabrese Op. 34 by Bazzini, with Adolph Baller on the piano. As an added bonus, the program features "A Violinist in Hollywood" and "On the Encores," two documentary segments shot 50 years after the performances, where Menuhin talks with Humphrey Burton about his life and career, and discusses his musical technique as they watch the footage from Concert Magic.