When the serious Süddeutsche Zeitung prints a concert review on the title page, summing up with

"A new star is born",

the concert must have been a highly exceptional one. That is exactly what took place on 25 April 1969 - the debut of the 21-year-old Pinchas Zukerman, then utterly unknown in Europe. As befits such occurrences, the concert was not originally planned to include Zukerman; he stepped in on short notice for the ailing Nathan Milstein. Rafael Kubelik was definitely to be thanked for this phenomenal breakthrough, as he was ready to take a chance on the young wonder of the violin, then unknown to him, who had been recommended by a New York agency. The further course of Mr. Zukerman's career is well known. An epoch-making event in concert history can be re-experienced with this recording of the debut concert on 24 April 1969 in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz. Zukerman fascinates the listener with his technical mastery, utterly unshaken by the Tchaikovsky Concerto's perilous difficulties, and even more with his entirely natural musicality. He finds congenial partners in Kubelik and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. They also interpret Tchaikovsky's dramatic Fourth Symphony in the second half of the concert with their customary expressive strength.

• American Record Guide | Lawrence Hansen | January 7, 2003

  This concert from 24 April 1969 demonstrates how the concerto should be--but often is not--done. The relaxed, sinuous entry of the violin in the first...

• Arte | Mathias Heizmann | February 4, 2003

  Audite n'en finit pas de parcourir le legs de Raphael Kubelik. Aujourd'hui, on le retrouve dans Tchaïkovski en compagnie de Pinchas Zukerman. Un...

• Audiophile Audition | Gary Lemco | January 4, 2003

  Some discs you just know are going to be exciting; and when I saw this one available through Albany Music, I jumped at it. Originally, Nathan Milstein...

• Auspuff | January 1, 2003

  Er erhielt seine Chance durch Zufall. Als Nathan Milstein erkrankte und der damals in Europa noch völlig unbekannte Wundergeiger Pinchas Zukerman...

• Das Orchester | Kathrin Feldmann | January 11, 2003

  Wer diese Einspielung gehört hat, ist verdorben für all die anderen, und...

• Fono Forum | Anselm Cybinski | January 3, 2003

  Nathan Milstein, der in München das Tschaikowsky-Konzert spielen sollte, musste erkrankt absagen. Columbia Artists schickte einen 21-jährigen...

• Gramophone | Rob Cowan | January 10, 2003

  Kubelik takes the Stage
  Some years ago I was involved in a discussion concerning Wilhelm Furtwängler's potential artistic heir. Who might he be? There was no lack of...

• klassik-heute.com | Benjamin G. Cohrs | December 16, 2002

  Eine besondere Sternstunde hält dieser vorzüglich remasterte Live-Mitschnitt vom 24. April 1969 aus dem Münchner Herkulessaal fest: das...

• L'éducation musicale | Francis Gérimont | January 9, 2003

  Dans cet enregistrement public remontant à 1969, le jeune Pinchas Zukerman (21 ans), alors dans tout sa splendeur virtuose, n'a pas le moindre état...

• Musik & Theater | Attila Csampai | January 4, 2003

  Sinnlichkeit und Leidenschaft
  Wenngleich der heute 54-jährige Pinchas Zukerman in den letzten Jahren häufiger am Dirigentenpult wirkte als an seinem angestammten Soloinstrument,...

• Musikmarkt | November 11, 2002

  Es war das gefeierte Debütkonzert des damals 21-jährigen, in Europa...

• Platte 11 | Heinz Gelking | March 10, 2010

  Short Summary in English: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto has probably never been played again as natural as by the 21-year-old Pinchas Zukerman in...

• Scherzo | Enrique Pérez Adrián | January 3, 2004

  Pinchas Zukerman y Rafael Kubelik - Chaikovski en Estado puro
  Un disco sensacional. Soberbio Zukerman e inspirado, intenso y elocuente Kubelik, o sea, Chaikovski en estado puro. No se lo pierdan.
  Este concierto público celebrado en la Sala Hércules de la Residencia de Munich y grabado excelentemente por la Radio Bávara, nos trae el debut en...

• WDR 3 | Antje Hinz | March 2, 2003

  Die Geige sei das widernatürlichste Instrument - meint ein weltberühmter Virtuose und demonstriert in seinen Konzerte häufig die verdrehte...

• WDR 3 | Michael Schwalb | October 28, 2002

  Redakteur am Mikrophon ist Michael Schwalb, und mitgebracht habe ich Ihnen die CD-Erstveröffentlichung eines ganz besonderen Konzerts mit Werken von...

• www.ClassicsToday.com | David Hurwitz | January 10, 2002

  Rafael Kubelik recorded a good if not spectacular Tchaikovsky Fourth for EMI with the Vienna Philharmonic, and this one is even better. The high...