The concert career of the violinist Henryk Szeryng was oddly discontinuous, with a lengthy break in its middle.

Born in Poland, Szeryng studied in Berlin and Paris and, by the Thirties, had made his debut in many European capitals. But when war came, he volunteered for the Polish army and, speaking eight languages, was appointed interpreter to Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Polish prime minister in exile.

Later, Szeryng was sent to Mexico to arrange for the settlement there of Polish exiles and stayed for more than a decade, teaching violin. The turning point came in 1954, when the pianist Artur Rubinstein visited Mexico and invited Szeryng to play for him.

Rubinstein was sufficiently impressed to persuade Szeryng to resume his concert career, personally recommending him to his own manager and record company and, later, partnering Szeryng in some excellent recordings of Beethoven and Brahms sonatas.

Noted for his pure tone and virtuosic technique, Szeryng was admirable in solo Bach or in specially-commissioned works by Mexican composers such as Manuel Ponce and Carlos Chavez. He died in 1988, aged 69, while on tour in Germany.

-Roger Moodiman, Marine Parade, Brighton