Nathan Milstein plays Bach's Chaconne for solo violin

In 1986, Christopher Nupen immortalized the artistry of violinist Nathan Milstein (1903-1992), a legendary figure from the instrument's "Golden Age" in the mid-twentieth century. Here in his 80s, Milstein's performance of the Chaconne from Bach's Partita for Solo Violin No. 2 in D Minor is the crowning jewel in a glittering career. Considered a kind of Mount Everest of the violin repertoire, the Chaconne exploits the full capacity of the instrument and requires the performer to surmount virtually all of its technical challenges. Milstein tackles the work head on with ease and creativity, neatly demonstrating the prowess that incited critic Harold C. Schonberg to describe him as "perhaps the most nearly perfect violinist of his time."