The Russians are Coming!

 ... On recordings, and in the flesh, in the 1950s! The cold war between the Soviet Union and the West got a little warmer in the mid 1950s, and some of the leading Soviet musicians were allowed to come West and give concerts.

The pianist Emil Gilels and the violinist David Oistrakh were among the first to dazzle concertgoers in London and New York. In some cases, recording by these artists came before them, promising of delights yet to come. We'll sample some of these recordings.