Wieniawski: Violin Showpieces
The violin showpieces of Wieniawski still turn up sometimes as  encores, but there are few discs devoted entirely to them. They're fun.  Wieniawski (1835-1880) must have been a brilliant violinist to write so well for  the instrument, and he came up with some very catchy tunes and never pushed  them too far. Marat Bisengaliev, who comes from Kazakhstan, is a very elegant  violinist with a seamless technique. He plays these pieces for their musical value  instead of showing off his zippy fingers. Since some of these works were meant  for showing off, though, this lovely disc isn't the ultimate Wieniawski collection,  but it will do until that is recorded.--Leslie Gerber