The First Sonata Recording Abroad by a Japanese Artist - Shin’ichi Suzuki

By ESA Administrator

29th January 2026

ISA continues to mark this Memorial Week of Dr. Suzuki's passing with another historic recording - this time of the Franck Sonata in A Major from 1938.

The First Sonata Recording Abroad by a Japanese Artist - Shin’ichi Suzuki

In 1928, Shin’ichi became the first Japanese musician to record a performance abroad, under the Polydor label—which, at the time, operated as a British subsidiary of Deutsche Grammophon. The work was the complete Violin Sonata by César Franck (1822–1890), with Manfred Gurlitt (1890–1972) at the piano. The recording was issued as a set of four 78-rpm SP records. Use the following YouTube links to hear the full recording:

1st mvt. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLfSpeIxs24&list=RDuLfSpeIxs24&start_radio=1

2nd mvt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh3SpFdRKc&list=RDSXh3SpFdRKc&start_radio=1

3rd mvt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCO8338EoGI&list=RDxCO8338EoGI&start_radio=1

4th mvt. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dm-4dPu9AA&list=RD7dm-4dPu9AA&start_radio=1

Dr Shinichi Suzuki

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