# Greatest Violist of All Time?



## World Violist

The advantage we have over violinists and pianists is that all the first great violists have been recorded; Tertis and Hindemith especially.

After that early era, viola really came into its own, especially since William Primrose, possibly the most famous violist of all time, who famously rejected violinists who played viola "on the side."

So I ask all of you: who do you think is the greatest violist of all time? I personally don't vote Primrose. I prefer Tertis, and among living violists I definitely vote Steven Dann.


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## Taneyev

Primrose was (IMO justly) criticside for being a frustrate violinist who played the viola as a violin.
My favorite actual violist is Pierre Lènert.


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## Argus

John Cale. Possibly because he's the only viola player I can think of that isn't primarily a violinist.


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## World Violist

Argus said:


> John Cale. Possibly because he's the only viola player I can think of that isn't primarily a violinist.


Actually there are a lot more than you would think. Check out Lawrence Power, who has a couple of superb CD's of British viola concerti (Walton, Forsyth, Rubbra, and Bowen), Steven Dann, who has a great Brahms CD, and Yuri Bashmet, who apparently has some great Shostakovich to his name.


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## altiste

There are many fine viola players today so it's rather difficult to try and pick one that's the greatest.

Since living in France I've heard, among others, Garth Knox (I have a great solo CD by him including the Ligeti Sonata), Christophe Desjardins (of EIC). Tabea Zimmermann and Antoine Tamestit I heard in a concert recently doing a new double viola concerto. Gérard Caussé and Yuri Bashmet I've heard playing more traditional repertoire. etc. etc;

Franck Chevalier playing my own Viola Concerto; to hear him on CD you'll need to hunt for a CD of Quatuor Diotima.


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## cutecub00

The greatest violinist of all time was Niccolo Paganini.
The greatest violinist of the 20th century was Jascha Heifetz
The greatest living violinist today is Itzhak Perlman.
Other notable violinists living today : Kyung Wha Chung (retired), Sarah Chang , Hilary Hahn and Anne Sophie Mutter.

[Admin edit: Promo links removed]


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## Argus

cutecub00 said:


> The greatest violinist of all time was Niccolo Paganini.
> The greatest violinist of the 20th century was Jascha Heifetz
> The greatest living violinist today is Itzhak Perlman.
> Other notable violinists living today : Kyung Wha Chung (retired), Sarah Chang , Hilary Hahn and Anne Sophie Mutter. (Admin Edit: Promo link removed)


That's nice to know, but the question was greatest *violist*, as in a person who plays the *viola*.


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## Artemis

I don't know what the post above this is all about. I thought this thread was about violists, not violinists. (edit I see Argus beat me to it!)

My choices for very good violists would include: 

Lawrence Power (Walton Viola Concerto, Hyperion label); 

David Aaron Carpenter (Schnittke, Viola Concerto, Ondine label); 

Rivka Golani (Malcolm Arnold, Concerto for Viola & Orchestra, Decca label) and Hindermith (Trauermusik for viola & string orchstra);


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## Tapkaara

cutecub00 said:


> The greatest violinist of all time was Niccolo Paganini.
> The greatest violinist of the 20th century was Jascha Heifetz
> The greatest living violinist today is Itzhak Perlman.
> Other notable violinists living today : Kyung Wha Chung (retired), Sarah Chang , Hilary Hahn and Anne Sophie Mutter.
> 
> [Admin edit: Promo links removed]


I know this thread is about VIOLISTS, but how can we possibly know Paganini was the greatest violinist of all time? If people at the time had heard Oistrakh or Heiftez or Perlman play, do you think it would be said that THEY had sold their souls to the devil, too?


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## World Violist

Tapkaara said:


> I know this thread is about VIOLISTS, but how can we possibly know Paganini was the greatest violinist of all time? If people at the time had heard Oistrakh or Heiftez or Perlman play, do you think it would be said that THEY had sold their souls to the devil, too?


Good idea. Let's burn the violin virtuosi at the stake.


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## handlebar

I would say Primrose gets the nod for Golden Age violist and both Zuckerman(who plays both like many violinists can) and Bashmet for modern.
My violin teacher was a stunning violist as well and even though many can name the best violinists, they forget how talented a violinist can be and adept at both instruments.

Jim


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## World Violist

handlebar said:


> (who plays both like many violinists can)


I have a problem with this statement, largely because I am a violist first and not at all a violinist. There isn't much point in trying to play both, and it's a ridiculous idea to do so in my humble opinion. The violinists just opt for a different sound than do the "real" violists.

And many violinists just can't make the extra finger stretching. I have a friend who plays violin with these very large hands, and he just can't play my 17" viola. All the fourth finger stretches and that sort of stuff just don't work out.

I'll let everyone else have their own ideas, but mine is that a person who is first a violinist just isn't necessarily suited to viola.


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## andruini

World Violist said:


> I have a problem with this statement, largely because I am a violist first and not at all a violinist. There isn't much point in trying to play both, and it's a ridiculous idea to do so in my humble opinion. The violinists just opt for a different sound than do the "real" violists.
> 
> And many violinists just can't make the extra finger stretching. I have a friend who plays violin with these very large hands, and he just can't play my 17" viola. All the fourth finger stretches and that sort of stuff just don't work out.
> 
> I'll let everyone else have their own ideas, but mine is that a person who is first a violinist just isn't necessarily suited to viola.


I whole-heartedly agree with this, I know many violinists who try to play viola on the side and it just sounds weak and feeble. But I do think Zuckerman is arguably a very good violist, and I think he does deserve a mention in the list. I think his sound and technique on the viola are very appropriate to the instrument. I could be wrong, of course, but that's just my two cents..


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## World Violist

andruini said:


> I whole-heartedly agree with this, I know many violinists who try to play viola on the side and it just sounds weak and feeble. But I do think Zuckerman is arguably a very good violist, and I think he does deserve a mention in the list. I think his sound and technique on the viola are very appropriate to the instrument. I could be wrong, of course, but that's just my two cents..


I agree, but I think he's one of the only ones.


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## handlebar

The statement is true that many violists do not play the violin and vice-versa for the opposite.
My post was not meant to imply that ALL are versatile in such musicality but that SOME are.
Just like a hockey player might also be good at golf (which is very common) doesn't imply that ALL hockey players play golf.
I just wanted to pass on the point that many musicians are able to play multiple instruments and that the similarities in said instruments make such a proposition easier. I enjoy playing the piano and classical guitar as well as a bit of violin and cello but. No, I'm not an expert or professional at any of the above but I CAN play them I I so desire.

Jim


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## ConcertVienna

well, I also got confused by the question, and the first name in my mind was also Niccolo Paganini.

and of course, "the best" is very subjective. Like choosing a Miss World. How do you choose one, when all the finalists are beautiful?

Hm, I would like to share with you here something that bothers me. Here in Vienna, in the Philharmonic orchesta, they take only white male musicians. Lately they took some women, because there was too much pressure to do so (I suspect they would have never done it out of free will). But I read an interview with a former director of the orchestra, and he sais, yes we take only white men to play music, composed by white men, and this is right so. There was a case when a japanese musician won a competition behind the curtain, but they refused to take him. I think this is bullsh.. But I am not a musician myself, so may be...i am wrong?


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## xuantu

ConcertVienna said:


> Hm, I would like to share with you here something that bothers me. Here in Vienna, in the Philharmonic orchesta, they take only white male musicians. Lately they took some women, because there was too much pressure to do so (I suspect they would have never done it out of free will). But I read an interview with a former director of the orchestra, and he sais, yes we take only white men to play music, composed by white men, and this is right so. There was a case when a japanese musician won a competition behind the curtain, but they refused to take him.


This does sound like a serious problem, but it is not relevant for the violist topic here. Besides, the managers of this orchestra could probably set any recruiting rules they want (I may be wrong). I know Russia has an all-male ballet company which is surely no place for ballerinas (I think people do this for fun). So why bother for having an all-white-male orchestra in Austria?

------Now talk about violists:

I have only heard Lionel Tertis in short pieces, but this clip from youtube gives me an idea about *William Primrose*'s viola playing in the Bartok concerto (



) and I think he is untouchable in this piece. Judging from the recording, his tone was richer, brighter even than that of Yuri Bashmet, who is generally regarded as the greatest living violist (?). Although perhaps he took too much liberty here and there, this is essentially his score --he was technically and emotionally uninhibited in it and what he gave us is an unforgettable, larger-than-life performance. I know it sounds mad to put one's faith in a single performance, especially when it's not all good, but I do think among all the violists that I've heard, only Primrose had the strength to make a case for the instrument when it was disdained by so many musicians and music lovers back then.

Now what I am really interested is who is going to be the next greatest violist. My guess would be *Lawrence Power*. From what I've heard he is a shade better than another top contender *Maxim Rysanov* (the rising star who is said to possess the big, velvet-like tone of a young Yuri Bashmet) and I couldn't think of a third name (perhaps I should check out Steven Dann). Maxim Rysanov is indeed a charismatic performer and he is able to reach the emotional depths of pieces that have huge curves in them, as he did in Kancheli's Styx, but Lawrence Power produces a more cultured, subtle sound and his art is best shown in works with delicate color-schemes, such as Walton's famous concerto. His playing of this piece for _Hyperion_ is spontaneous, dreamy and teeming with life.

A lot of great violists have already been mentioned in this thread. In my opinion, there are three more names that merit to be brought up on the table: the "Nordic Giant" *Lars Anders Tomter* (his Brahms sonatas remain my favorite readings of these works, and his Walton concerto for Naxos is also very strong), the Japanese violist *Nobuko Imai* (I like her Schnittke concerto better than Bashmet's version) and the Armenian-American *Kim Kashkashian* (her recording of Berio's Voci is just amazing).


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## xuantu

I did a quick search for this *Steven Dann* on Amazon.com and found that he was featured in a Takemitsu disk (chamber music) from Naxos. That's one of my favorite disks!


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## hankz

*Violist...*

One of my favorites is:

Veronica Hagen of the Hagen String quartet.


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## Messiaen

*Veronica Hagen*

But recently Hagen SQ has not always been better than it was. I didn't feel satisfied in their sloppy concert.
And Veronica has played with Kremer and others, staying off her quartet.


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## Messiaen

*Ryszard Groblevski*

Does anyone know why he hasn't been showing any activity since Concours de Geneve 2005?
He won the 1er Prix d'Alto, outdoing Ryzanov.
I have found no CDs.


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## Ukko

Taneyev said:


> Primrose was (IMO justly) criticside for being a frustrate violinist who played the viola as a violin.
> My favorite actual violist is Pierre Lènert.


Primrose did not "play the viola as a violin" before coming under the influence of Heifetz. Ysaye (diacriticals missing) taught him right.

I suspect that Paganini was a great violist, but I haven't heard him play.


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## MusicSoundsNice

I would have to say the greatest violist of all time is Yuri Bashmet - his playing style is so elegant and precise. However, I'm also a big fan of Maxim Vengerov, who is primarily a Violinist, but is also a great violist, who puts unbelievable amounts of emotion into his playing (+ I like his facial expressions).


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## Art Rock

Yuri Bashmet was the first name that came to my mind. Love his recordings of modern Soviet masters.


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## MarkJackson

Maxim Rysanov is a young violist who I really admire and respect. He's also a talented arranger of works for other instruments. As a cellist I really respected his arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Rococco Variations. It's a devilishly difficult work and he adapted it beautifully to fit his instrument's sound. It's said that Bashmet (who I also adore) exclaimed upon being asked about Rysanov, "My rival has arrived!"

For violists of the past, one that sticks out in my mind (that hasen't been mentioned) is Emanuel Vardi. His technical prowess in the Paganini Caprices (particularly the 5th) is intimidating, to say the least. I have a recording of him playing Fauré's "Après un rêve" with Norman Carey that's moved me to tears on several occasions.


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## ViolaPlayer

I'"m a young violinist who switched over to the viola about four years ago. I still take lessons in both. All of my playing opportunities (like at the local university orchestra) have been on the viola, do you think i should continue studying both?


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## MaryG

I also can say that I consider Maxim Rysanov to be one of the greatest violists living nowadays. His sound is always very rich and Tchaikovsky's Rococco Variations are really a great work! And as far as I know he didn’t stop working in this sphere. Recently there was issued a disk, which I found at onyxclassics site, with Beethoven’s compositions, some of which are also arranged, performed by Maxim Rysanov, Kristina Blaumane and Jacob Katsnelson. And these pieces are amazing!


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## lixiegone

*Re:*

Violin is the best classical instruments I've known. And speaking of this I really wish to know how to play this.
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## Lunasong

Violist not violinist.

All this confusion reminds me of this, posted elsewhere on this messageboard:


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