Kreutzer Sonata (Milstein, Pludermacher)

On the 17th of June 1986 Nathan Milstein, who was 82 years old at the time, gave his last public recital. It was a historic occasion and it took place 72 years after his famous first appearance in Leopold Auer's violin class in St Petersburg in 1914. That memorable event took place in the Berwaldhallen in Stockholm and the grand master played as surely no other violinist in the history of Western music has ever been able to play at the age of 82.

His partner was the French pianist Georges Pludermacher, with whom he had been giving concerts for more than 20 years. It was a fitting end to one of the longest and most elevated careers in classical music in the 20th century and much of that recital is preserved in Christopher Nupen's film Nathan Milstein – Master of Invention, a film in two parts, each of just under one hour.

This present film, The Kreutzer Sonata, consists of a very short introduction followed by the complete performance of Beethoven's masterpiece from that Stockholm recital. The Kreutzer is thought of by many to be the greatest sonata in the classical violin literature - it is also one of the most difficult - but Nathan Milstein's legendary musicality and extraordinary technique remained undimmed, even at 82. He possessed an unerring skill that Isaac Stern once described as more like radar than conventional violin technique.