For more than two decades before he achieved fame and financial security as England’s foremost composer, the young Edward Elgar earned a living as a violinist and violin teacher. Beside such evergreens as Sospiri, Chansons de Matin and de Nuit, Salut d’amour and his substantial Violin Sonata and Concerto, this Naxos anthology includes a treasury of lesser-known works, both charming salon pieces and astonishingly demanding études. ‘Bisengaliev is a sensational player of intense musicality and tonal splendour. He delights in the nostalgia and demand of these pieces, bringing them glowingly alive, finding depth where others see only charm.’ (BBC Music Magazine, August 1999)