By 1957 Erick Friedman was regarded as one of the most promising and talented young American violinists, the artist who just might become the next Heifetz. Instead, he became a student of Heifetz and put his burgeoning career on hold for three years. While he enjoyed great success in the early '60s, his star quickly dimmed and he eventually branched out into teaching and conducting. This RCA "Red Seal" 1962-63 recordings featuring Erick Friedman and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcom Sargent & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Walter Hendl, perform violin showpieces by Saint-Saëns, Paganini, Ravel and more.

The tragedy of du Pré’s brief career is still fresh in the public memory and can be summarised here. She was born in Oxford on 26 January 1945 into a middle-class family in which music was important: her mother was a fine pianist and a gifted teacher. The French-sounding name came from her father’s Channel Islands ancestry. Just before her fifth birthday, when she was already showing musical promise, she heard the sound of a cello on the radio and the course of her life was set.