Oleg Kagan
Oleg Kagan was one of the foremost Russian violinists from the latter half of the twentieth century. While he developed a reputation on his own, many know him for his collaborations with pianist Sviatoslav Richter, as well as for his chamber music activity with a clutch of Soviet artists that included his first wife pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, second wife cellist Natalia Gutman, pianist Elisso Virssaladze, and violist Yuri Bashmet. Virtuoso violinist David Oistrakh was an ardent admirer of his pupil Kagan, arranging for him to record all of Mozart's concertos while serving as his conductor in the enterprise. Though Kagan played much Russian music, including works by Shostakovich and Schnittke, he focused heavily, at least in the recording studio, on the Germanic sphere: Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms. Many of his numerous recordings were reissued on the German label Live Classics, EMI, and Olympia.
Kagan was born in the Eastern Soviet city of Sakhalin on November 22, 1946. His father was a physician with a passion for music. Young Oleg grew up in Riga (Latvia), studying first with Joachim Braun at the local conservatory, then with Boris Kuznetsov, who would eventually take him to Moscow for study.
Kagan won first prize at the 1965 Sibelius Competition and second prize at the 1969 Tchaikovsky. After Kuznetsov's death Kagan immediately began studies with David Oistrakh and soon found himself in a circle of friends that included Sviatoslav Richter, with whom he would collaborate in numerous concerts. Between 1975 and 1983 they gave a series of acclaimed Mozart sonata recitals, many recorded and later issued.
Throughout the 1970s and '80s Kagan's reputation grew as he extended his repertory to include Messiaen (Quartet for the End of Time), Ravel (Duo Sonata for Violin and Cello), contemporary Soviet composer Sofia Gubaidulina (Rejoice!), and works from the Second Viennese School.
As Kagan seemed to be approaching the zenith of his career he became seriously ill in 1989. He had several surgeries, but struggled to remain active, touring Europe when he could and arranging festivals. Though his doctors at a hospital in Lübeck, Germany, declared him too sick to be released, Kagan discharged himself to appear at his final festival, in Kreuth am Tegernsee, Bavaria. Shortly after giving two Mozart concerts there, where he had to be helped on-stage, he died on July 15, 1990, not yet 44.
© TiVo
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Berg: Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin and 13 Wind Instruments
Sviatoslav Richter, Oleg Kagan, Moscow Conservatory Ensemble, Yuri Nikolayevsky
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on May 31, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Haydn, Brahms, Shostakovich: Sonatas
Sviatoslav Richter, Oleg Kagan
Classical - Released by Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga Musica on Jan 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XVII
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on Jan 20, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. II
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on May 23, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich Sonatas Violin & Viola Op. 134 & 147
Oleg Kagan, Sviatoslav Richter, Yuri Bashmet
Classical - Released by Musical Concepts on Nov 12, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart & Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Vol. 1
Oleg Kagan, Sviatoslav Richter
Classical - Released by Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga Musica on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Violin Sonatas Nos 23, 26, 27 & 31 (Live, Grange de la Besnardière, 1974)
Oleg Kagan, Sviatoslav Richter
Chamber Music - Released by Warner Classics on Jun 21, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Nos. 4 & 5 "Spring"
Oleg Kagan, Sviatoslav Richter
Chamber Music - Released by Warner Classics on Jun 21, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart & Beethoven: Violin Sonatas
Oleg Kagan, Sviatoslav Richter
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jun 12, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
TCHAIKOVSKY, P.I.: Violin and Piano Music(Complete)
Chamber Music - Released by Ondine on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach : Violin Sonatas & Partitas BWV1001-1006 (Apex)
Classical - Released by Warner Classics International on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gubaidulina: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XXXI
Classical - Released by Live Classics on Apr 10, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Sonatas for Violin & Piano, K. 378 & 379
Oleg Kagan, Sviatoslav Richter
Chamber Music - Released by CDK Music Classical on Nov 1, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XXIII
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on Mar 12, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XI
Classical - Released by Live Classics on Mar 29, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms & Shostakovich: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XVIII
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on Apr 23, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XXVIII
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on Feb 2, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franck & Ravel: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XIV
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on Jun 23, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XXVII
Classical - Released by Live Classics on Oct 13, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Oleg Kagan Edition, Vol. XXIV
Chamber Music - Released by Live Classics on Mar 12, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MERIKANTO, A.: Concerto for Violin, Clarinet, Horn and String Sextet / Nonet / Works for Male Chorus
Chamber Music - Released by Ondine on Jan 1, 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo