…… Sherban Lupu, who took lessons and master classes with such legendary violinists as Yehudi Menuhin, Henryk Szering, Nathan Milstein, Norbert Brainin and Sandor Vegh, has just died at the age of 71. His discs of works by fellow-Romanian George Enescu (especially on Electrecord and Toccata Classics) had a rightness about them, an authentic ‘Gipsy’ feel, that brought the music fully to life. Whenever I heard – or hear – his superb Electrecord recording of the Enescu Third Sonata (Electrecord EDC 324/325) with pianist Valentin Gheorghiu, not to mention Impressions d’enfance (see/hear below) I want to pick up a fiddle myself (terrible though I am as a player). Only Huberman, Dinicu and, at his best, Menuhin have that same effect. Sherban was great company too, warm, funny, interesting and interested. One of my very best friends Trevor Jenkins, also now passed, met Sherban with a view to a collaboration. He phoned me afterwards with the priceless description of a character who was ‘half Vic Reeves, and half Dracula’! I’m sure that Sherban would have had a good chuckle at that.

George Enescu – Impressions d’enfance Op. 28 – YouTube Sherban would often signal on my Facebook page (last re my Klemperer/Ansermet ‘Baby boomers’ review) and I always loved seeing him there. God rest him, though fortunately his memory will live on through his many marvellous recordings (and not only of Enescu).