Gil plays a 1699 Stradivarius and has recorded exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon since 1987.

Shaham and Prokofiev

With such a limited number of violin works, it is impossible for a violinist to specilize in Prokofiev. As a result, some of Prokofiev's violin works, notably the two concertos, are recorded by many artists. However, every once in a while an artist comes along and redefines the music, forcing us as listeners to re-consider all previous recordings we've heard of beloved works. It is this reaction that hit most people when they first heard Shaham play the First and Second Violin Concertos with Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra. It is well suited to Shaham, who possesses an unmatched warmth to his tone, and a lyricism unparalleled among today's young violinists. After all, Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto was initially ignored by audiences as too lyrical. Given the time and environment (Prokofiev wrote the work in 1916-17, but it wasn't premiered until 1923), it's somewhat understandable why the avant-garde audiences of the time, weened on Stravinsky, eschewed the work. However, over time its extraorinary lyricism won over audiences and it became part of the standard violin repetoire. Oistrakh and Heifetz used to 'own' the work. That is, the greats used to own the work until Shaham came along in 1995 to give one pause to re-consider.