Georg Kulenkampff - Ludwig Spohr’s Concerto No. 8

Georg Kulenkampff (1898 - 1948) was a concert violinist, one of the best-known German virtuosi of the 1930s and 1940s. Considered one of the finest violinists of the 20th century, Kulenkampff was known for his interpretations of works from the Romantic period. Kulenkampff gave the premiere performance of Robert Schumann’s violin concerto and made the first recording of the piece; additionally, his performances of the violin concertos of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Glazunov, and Bruch are considered among the finest on record. In particular, In 1937 he gave the premiere of the rediscovered Violin Concerto in D minor of Robert Schumann, which had been studied and suppressed by Joseph Joachim, but which Kulenkampff now revived. The addition of this work to the repertoire was a very important and successful affair, and soon afterwards Kulenkampff made the world premiere recording. Before the war he recorded the Beethoven and Mendelssohn concerti: he maintained the Mendelssohn in performance despite the ban on his