# Best Violinist?



## victormpaz

In your opinion who is the top young violinist? Joshua Bell, Hillary Hahn, Julia fisher...?


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## Krisena

Maxim Vengerov. With one hand tied to his back.

Edit: If Joshua Bell (45) is young, then so is Maxim Vengerov.


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## jani

Krisena said:


> Maxim Vengerov. With one hand tied to his back.
> 
> Edit: If Joshua Bell (45) is young, then so is Maxim Vengerov.


MAXIM!!!!
This was the first performance i heard from him and i was blown away!


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## MaestroViolinist

Maxim Vengerov and Anne Sophie Mutter, though neither of them are young. Hilary Hahn is next best, and I don't like Julia Fischer at all much.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Ultimately IMO it isn't about the virtuosity of the player, but his or her ability to produce memorable and truly worthwhile recordings. By that standard there are a few living violinists whose recordings I almost always find of interest. Among these I would count Anne-Sophie Mutter, Hillary Hahn, Julia Fischer, Gidon Kremer, John Holloway, Andrew Manze and Elizabeth Wallfisch.


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## TrazomGangflow

I personally prefer Itzhak Perlman over most other violinists, even though I find a few of his recording to be a bit cold. I don't enjoy Hillary Hahn much. To me it sounds as though she uses too much pressure with the bow. (does anyone else notice this or do I just have bad hearing?)


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## StlukesguildOhio

Yes, Itzhak Perlman was/is great... but is he still active? I most certainly have more than a few of his recordings:





































-Just a few favorites


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## MaestroViolinist

TrazomGangflow said:


> I personally prefer Itzhak Perlman over most other violinists, even though I find a few of his recording to be a bit cold. I don't enjoy Hillary Hahn much. To me it sounds as though she uses too much pressure with the bow. (does anyone else notice this or do I just have bad hearing?)


Itzhak Perlman is *The Best.* His recordings aren't cold. I just didn't mention him before because he is definitely not young.

I agree about Hilary Hahn though.


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## TrazomGangflow

MaestroViolinist said:


> Itzhak Perlman is *The Best.* His recordings aren't cold. I just didn't mention him before because he is definitely not young.
> 
> I agree about Hilary Hahn though.


Perhaps instead of cold I meant too sophisticated for my meager mind to comprehend.


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## jurianbai

Best violinist.... in curve.

Alina Ibragimova









Sarah Chang









Nicola Benedetti









Chloe Hanslip









Kyung Hwa-Chung









Hillary Hahn


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## jurianbai

..continued

Akiko Suwanai









Midori Goto









Anne Marie Mutter









Baiba Skride - loves her Shostakovich VC









Janine Jansen









Viktoria Mullova


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## jurianbai

sorry.... need to post another for fair game :lol:

Leila Josefowicz









Simone Lamsma









Anne Akiko Meyers









and the curvest of all... Nishizaki Takako, I'm sure everyone has at least one of her disc. Her Butterfly concertos and some other Classical era vc are my favorite.


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## MaestroViolinist

How many women violinists do you know??? :lol: No, don't answer that. 

Actually, I was really looking at all the violins, I like Alina Ibragimova's the most. And Leila Josefowicz's violin looks like it has gold on the ends of the pegs, really nice.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Actually, I was really looking at all the violins, I like Alina Ibragimova's the most.

Perhaps you might want to look closer at Anne-Sophie Mutter's instrument. She owns and plays two different Stradivarius violins: Emiliani Stradivarius 1703 and Lord Dunn-Raven Stradivarius 1710.


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## MaestroViolinist

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Perhaps you might want to look closer at Anne-Sophie Mutter's instrument. She owns and plays two different Stradivarius violins: Emiliani Stradivarius 1703 and Lord Dunn-Raven Stradivarius 1710.


Really? That's awesome! Can't see it very well in that picture though.


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## StlukesguildOhio

Kyung Hwa-Chung's is also a Stradivarius. Hillary Hahn is probably the only other violinist among this group who could afford a Stradivarius, but she plays an 1864 J.B. Vuillaume according to Wiki.


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## Krisena

While we're on Akiko Suwanai, am I the only one thinking that her recording of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto from when she played in the Tchaikovsky competition is the BEST interpretation of that concerto?

Damn her and her sexy playing. And by sexy I'm referring to her playing.


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## Hazel

After reading a comment about Niccolô Paganini in BBC Knowledge (a book review about genomes), I listened to several YouTube recordings of Paganini's playing as well as that of some of his "descendants". Then, I came here to see if anyone had had anything to say about Paganini. You are talking more about living violinists, of course, but there are living violinists playing as Paganini did. Is it me that I think they are all angry at the violin? Or angry at someone and taking it out on the violin? Does anyone enjoy this kind of violin playing? It's a skill - moving along at break-neck speed like that but is it pleasant?


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## celegorma

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Gil Shaham yet?


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## Dongiovanni

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Kyung Hwa-Chung's is also a Stradivarius. Hillary Hahn is probably the only other violinist among this group who could afford a Stradivarius, but she plays an 1864 J.B. Vuillaume according to Wiki.


Talking about violins, Hilary Hahn's violin is not my favourite, compared to others it sometimes has a harsh, shrill sound.. But she has had this vilolin for a long time, so I'm guessing she doesn't agree with me.


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## Dongiovanni

Janine Jansen is very popular nowadays where I live (beacuse she is Dutch), which gave me a bit of a "Lang Lang feeling" about her if you know what I mean. Then I got her recording of the Beethoven concerto. It is very, very good. It's my new standard for this concerto.


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## Vaneyes

Jennifer Koh
View attachment 7604


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## appoggiatura

For me without a doubt Janine Jansen. She has an incredible technique, but she also plays very beautifully and musical! I dare say, she is one of the most expressive musicians out there. Try her Tchaikovsky violin concerto. That's Tchaikovsky! Russian Romanticism, deep feelings, tenderness, explosiveness, everything! 
(IMHO)


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## jurianbai

Violinist diagram tree,










there several other diagram, check http://silentstring.blogspot.com/2010/03/violinist-tree-from-viotti-to-current.html


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## Mephistopheles

I have to say that I've never enjoyed Maxim Vengerov - he always seems to make a caricature of whatever he's playing. I like Gil Shaham, Hilary Hahn, James Ehnes, and I'm glad someone else mentioned Baiba Skride! Her Shostakovich is AMAZING!


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## Taneyev

Agree, As a volinist, Vengerov is a good dancer. I like very much Hagai Shaham, Ehnes, Barton Pine and Tianwa Yang (best Sarasate I ever heard).


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## jurianbai

The post '90 -male- violinist I mystically considered best are: M.Vengerov, Joshua Bell, Nigel Kennedy G.Shaham


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## Iforgotmypassword

Watch this video and tell me that the answer isn't obvious.


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## Taneyev

Hazel said:


> After reading a comment about Niccolô Paganini in BBC Knowledge (a book review about genomes), I listened to several YouTube recordings of Paganini's playing as well as that of some of his "descendants". Then, I came here to see if anyone had had anything to say about Paganini. You are talking more about living violinists, of course, but there are living violinists playing as Paganini did. Is it me that I think they are all angry at the violin? Or angry at someone and taking it out on the violin? Does anyone enjoy this kind of violin playing? It's a skill - moving along at break-neck speed like that but is it pleasant?


Totally agree with you. They don't love the violin, just use it to win fame and money. Big difference with old masters IMO, is that nowdays they play the violin to make a living, but in old times, they lived to play the violin.


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## Vaneyes

For those interested, a Viktoria Mullova book review...
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_features.php?id=10593

www.therobsonpress.com

www.viktoriamullova.com

View attachment 9925


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## Nariette

I like Janine Jansen I guess... Maybeshe isn't the best violinist, but I like the way she plays.


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## altiste

I like a violinist that's prepared to play new music, so here's a performance by Karen Bentley Pollick


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## mitchflorida

Michael Rabin. You really have to check this guy out. He makes Jascha Heifetz sound unpolished. Incredible album. A lot of the others mentioned on this topic are today's flash-in-the-pan.

Please don't comment on Rabin until you have listened to this album.


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## TudorMihai

I would mention here Alexandru Tomescu, considered to be the one of the greatest Romanian violinists of our time. He owns a 1702 Stradivarius which was owned for four decades by the great Romanian violinist Ion Voicu and, some years before Voicu, was owned by Joseph Joachim. Here is a video of Tomescu performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 at the 2005 George Enescu Festival


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## Xaltotun

I cannot judge such matters, but I know a couple of violinists, and they swear by the name of Oistrakh. Strange that he hasn't yet been mentioned in this thread!


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## DavidA

jurianbai said:


> Best violinist.... in curve.
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> Alina Ibragimova
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> Sarah Chang
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> Nicola Benedetti
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> Chloe Hanslip
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> Kyung Hwa-Chung
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> Hillary Hahn


Good job violinists like Heifetz and Oistrakh lived in another age. If it came to promotional photos rather than violin playing they would never have got in the frame!


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## KenOC

Patricia Kopatchinskaja for sure. How do you spell that again?


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Elizabeth Wallfisch is my second favourite violinist at the moment.


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## DavidA

I know some years ago I asked the then editor of the Gramophone magazine whether it sold better with a pretty face on the front of the mag and he rather shame-facedly admitted that it did. I do wonder sometimes when we have pictures of good looking, shapely young women dreamily holding a violin or cello if they would have got as far in their careers if the only criteria had been violin playiong.


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## KenOC

DavidA said:


> I know some years ago I asked the then editor of the Gramophone magazine whether it sold better with a pretty face on the front of the mag and he rather shame-facedly admitted that it did. I do wonder sometimes when we have pictures of good looking, shapely young women dreamily holding a violin or cello if they would have got as far in their careers if the only criteria had been violin playing.


Look again at that picture of Sarah Chang. Is there ANY lapse in technique that you couldn't forgive her?


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## ptr

For me, "Young Violinist" imply that the person is alive and not yet turned 50... 
I would have voted for Michael Rabin any day, but the fact that he died Young and that it was 40 years ago kind of disqualifies him..

There has been named several names that I could vote for, but one name I haven't seen is *Isabelle Faust*









Her Bach Sonatas and Partitas and her Berg and Beethoven Concertos are all stunning! (Harmonia Mundi)

/ptr


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## Xaltotun

ptr said:


> For me, "Young Violinist" imply that the person is alive and not yet turned 50...


Oh! You're right, my bad, this was about young violinists. I somehow missed that word from the first post; maybe it should have been on the thread title, though.


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## DavidA

ptr said:


> For me, "Young Violinist" imply that the person is alive and not yet turned 50...
> I would have voted for Michael Rabin any day, but the fact that he died Young and that it was 40 years ago kind of disqualifies him..
> 
> There has been named several names that I could vote for, but one name I haven't seen is *Isabelle Faust*
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> Her Bach Sonatas and Partitas and her Berg and Beethoven Concertos are all stunning! (Harmonia Mundi)
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> /ptr


I have Faust playing the Beethoven. Up there with the best - well almost!

A certain mr Heifetz eclipses all for me, but he is no longer with us.


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## Guest

DavidA said:


> I have Faust playing the Beethoven. Up there with the best - well almost!
> 
> A certain mr Heifetz eclipses all for me, but he is no longer with us.


Couldn't agree more. While I like several of the new generation (Faust, Fischer), Heifetz is just in another realm all of his own. I am right now listening to a live recording of him performing Bach's Chaconne from the Partita No. 2, and it is incredible. Three of my absolute favorite albums are Heifetz performing the Brahms and Tchaikovsky concertos, the Beethoven and Mendelssohn concertos, and the Sibelius, Prokofiev, and Glazunov concertos.


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## DavidA

DrMike said:


> Couldn't agree more. While I like several of the new generation (Faust, Fischer), Heifetz is just in another realm all of his own. I am right now listening to a live recording of him performing Bach's Chaconne from the Partita No. 2, and it is incredible. Three of my absolute favorite albums are Heifetz performing the Brahms and Tchaikovsky concertos, the Beethoven and Mendelssohn concertos, and the Sibelius, Prokofiev, and Glazunov concertos.


I think it is unfair to compare the younger generation to Heifetz as he was absolutely in a class of his own even in his own day. Of course, there were other violinists who gave great performances but Heifetz not only played superbly, he anticipated the modern style of playing - with generally brisk tempi. I must confess I was shocked when I first heard Heifetz's Beethoven concerto but the composer marked it Allegro ma non troppo and not Andante, as so many had played it at out of some misplaced reverence. Vengerov is guilty of this in his recording. Heifetz realises Beethoven's intentions superbly.
I've just bought discs of Heifetz's RCA recordings of Beethoven. I think where he could be subject to criticism is in chamber music where he is so good that he completely eclipses his partners. I think especially of the violin sonatas where poor Emmanuel Bay is trounced! He is also not helped by being backwardly balanced. Heifetz was much better with a more assertive partner like Mosiewitch - but he also suffers from the balance. Pity Heifetz's character defects and his ego got in the way of the music some of the time. But listen to his Brahms concerto with the equally fearsome Reiner. Now that's a meeting of strong minds which is positively volcanic.


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## ptr

DavidA said:


> A certain mr Heifetz eclipses all for me, but he is no longer with us.


Had the question been set more vaguely, then naturally no one surpasses Mr Heifetz, Mr Oistrakh and the young Mr Rabin shares some of his qualities but do not eclipse his versatility, but alas, neither are with us IRL today.

/ptr


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## AnnsLittleHelper

I'm sorry to randomly jump in on this old thread, but seriously, NO ONE mentions Ann Fontanella?? Honestly, "best young violinist", and not even a MENTION?? She got accepted to Yale music at 14. She studied under Erik Friedman for 5 years. She's the legacy of the Old Russian School! (The one made famous by Friedman, Heifetz, and others all the way back to Leopold Auer).

Here, have a couple links, and check her out. The first is her youtube account, which, admittedly, she hasn't updated in some time, and the second is her personal web page, which gives some interesting history of her background training and accomplishments. She just finished a tour in america recently, but she's been spending much of her recent time being a new mother.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Annfontanella/videos?view=0&flow=grid

Website: http://www.annfontanella.com/bio.html

And just because I was lucky enough to save it before someone hacked her youtube and deleted a few, here is her rendition of Bazzini's Dance of the Goblins she let me upload on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=266311946807795


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## mitchflorida

The more I listen to Heiffetz the more I think he was more of a showman and entertainer than a subtle musician. Sort of the Jimi Hendrix of the violin.


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## teej

My vote is for James Ehnes. You just have to listen for yourself - a superb violinist in terms of musicality as well as technique. A distant second would be Hilary Hahn.


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## Neo Romanza

A few of my favorite 'younger' violinists:

Anthony Marwood -










Gil Shaham -










Anne-Sophie Mutter -


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## Neo Romanza

Continued...

Lisa Batiashvili -










Sergey Khachatryan -










Hilary Hahn -


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## Neo Romanza

Continued:

Thomas Zehetmair -










Alina Ibragimova -










Tasmin Little -


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## maestro57

Maybe not "the best" but definitely worth a listen...

Lucia Micarelli

I first heard her when she toured with Josh Groban as his first violinist. She later received a record label deal. Her recording of Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor (just the beginning excerpt without the orchestra) is INSANE. She decided to name this piece herself and called it "Aurora" and it's on her 2004 album "Music from a Farther Room". Have a listen.

Oh, and she's incredibly pretty.


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## handlebar

Gil Shaham is vastly underrated IMHO as is Sonnenberg. Saw Perlman many times and still consider him THE violinist of the old guard but not the best. Hahn is good albeit a bit flighty for me as is Josefewicz. Even though also a violist Zuckerman is also a mean violinist and not much heard from these days. Mutter is still chugging along and doing fine.

No real best. now take a specific work and THEN we can start to split hairs!!!!!


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## yelu

Joshua Bell and Anne-Sophie Mutter~~


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## yelu

mitchflorida said:


> Michael Rabin. You really have to check this guy out. He makes Jascha Heifetz sound unpolished. Incredible album. A lot of the others mentioned on this topic are today's flash-in-the-pan.
> 
> Please don't comment on Rabin until you have listened to this album.
> 
> View attachment 10994


ahoh~another genius died young of OD..


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## Guest

I like Vadim Repin,his Sibelius and Beethoven performance very much


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## ultima

Probably not the best of all time, but I have yet to be disappointed with a performance from Frank Peter Zimmermann. His performance of the Schumann concerto is my favourite. 

I would reserve the 'best of all time' for Heifetz.


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## stevens

victormpaz said:


> In your opinion who is the top young violinist? Joshua Bell, Hillary Hahn, Julia fisher...?


What year and what performance?


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## Vaneyes

Best young? You may consider Koh and Ehnes at 38, or Rachlin at 39.:tiphat:


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## iwys

Krisena said:


> Maxim Vengerov. With one hand tied to his back.
> 
> Edit: If Joshua Bell (45) is young, then so is Maxim Vengerov.


I agree: Maxim Vengerov.


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## Headphone Hermit

^^^ He might have (just about) fitted into the 'young' category when this thread started, but is he *still* young? 

BTW - he *is* a fantastic violinist - and does lots to encourage _young_ violinists


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## starthrower

I'm becoming a fan of Arabella Steinbacher. She has performed and recorded quite a few concertos of romantic and 20th century works. I need to get a recording. http://www.arabella-steinbacher.com/


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## Albert7

For me Anne-Sophie Mutter and Hilary Hahn are my favs. But no such thing as the best.


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## Nora

my favourites are hilary hahn, vanessa mae, janine jansen and mari samuelsen.


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## Albert7

albertfallickwang said:


> For me Anne-Sophie Mutter and Hilary Hahn are my favs. But no such thing as the best.


After hearing Vilde Frang I would add her to the list.


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## Vaneyes

Sad news. *Lydia Mordkovitch* has died.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11290327/Lydia-Mordkovitch-obituary.html


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## soundoftritones

I think Heifetz and Vengerov are my favourite violinists of all time (thus, my biased opinion: they are the best).

However, I think this would be unfair of me to say, as it is rather a subjective question and it depends on the piece that the violinist is performing. For instance, I think Kogan does the finest job of articulating Paganini's La Campanella, but Perlmann's interpretation of Sarasate's Caprice Basque is the most stylistically unique and definitely gypsy-like in the way he plays in a quasi-improvisational fashion, thereby being the best at performing those specific pieces. Then along comes more wonderful violinists such as Hahn, Bell, and so on and so forth - this being said in a way that does not depreciate each of the musician's talents by the etc. - that also hold a special place in my heart for their specific recordings.

Ehh, this made more sense in my head. ^^" Penny for my thoughts?


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## MoonlightSonata

I am very fond of Yehudi Menuhin's recordings.


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## hpowders

soundoftritones said:


> I think Heifetz and Vengerov are my favourite violinists of all time (thus, my biased opinion: they are the best).
> 
> However, I think this would be unfair of me to say, as it is rather a subjective question and it depends on the piece that the violinist is performing. For instance, I think Kogan does the finest job of articulating Paganini's La Campanella, but Perlmann's interpretation of Sarasate's Caprice Basque is the most stylistically unique and definitely gypsy-like in the way he plays in a quasi-improvisational fashion, thereby being the best at performing those specific pieces. Then along comes more wonderful violinists such as Hahn, Bell, and so on and so forth - this being said in a way that does not depreciate each of the musician's talents by the etc. - that also hold a special place in my heart for their specific recordings.
> 
> Ehh, this made more sense in my head. ^^" Penny for my thoughts?


Leonid Kogan also did a phenomenal Paganini Concerto No. 1, complete with no cuts. Incredible! Have you heard it?


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## pianississimo

A couple of up and coming young violinists are
American Tai Murray...






And Brit Tamsin Waley-Cohen
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/a/-/4964/Tamsin-Waley-Cohen/1

I've heard them both play live this year.
Tasmin played pieces from her fantasic CD 1917 in London. She has a few disks already.

Tai stepped in with less than a week's notice to play in place of Vadim Repin and delivered killer performance in killer heels!
Then after the concert she coolly stepped up to the post-concert talk with conductor Vasily Petrenko. The Liverpool Phil audience turned up in numbers for the talk and she spoke about how it was slightly daunting just to pick up her violin and travel half way around the world to fill in for one of the world's most respected and famous violinists!


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## Kibbles Croquettes

All of the good violinists are good. To be honest, I probably couldn't tell them apart if their name wasn't on the CD. That's why I decided not to become a musician.


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## Adrienne

I heard Maxim Vengerov play the Tchaikovsky concerto recently; he was having a bad day.
There is no One Best; it depends on the piece, accompanist or orchestra/conductor, and form on the day. 
Add Tasmin Little to the list of contenders, although I haven't noticed her "around" lately.
There are some brilliant newcomers in the wings; the list will change!


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## hpowders

victormpaz said:


> In your opinion who is the top young violinist? Joshua Bell, Hillary Hahn, Julia fisher...?


He's not young but check out Nathan Milstein's recordings. Nobody better, in my opinion.

Why must the violinist be "young"? Shouldn't it be about the quality of the music making?


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## clara s

the best...


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## Albert7

Well I know that it ain't Andre Rieu.


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## reliabilityprerequisite

Bit late to the party, but I've always been blown away by Sayaka Shoji, particularly by her rendition of Brahms. Anyone else?


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## Baregrass

hpowders said:


> He's not young but check out Nathan Milstein's recordings. Nobody better, in my opinion.
> 
> Why must the violinist be "young"? Shouldn't it be about the quality of the music making?


Milstein was one of the best.


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## Baregrass

Anne-Sophie Mutter is one of my favorites.


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## EDaddy

Taneyev said:


> Agree, As a volinist, Vengerov is a good dancer. I like very much Hagai Shaham, Ehnes, Barton Pine and Tianwa Yang (best Sarasate I ever heard).


You guys are hilarious... "a caricature of whatever he's playing"... "a good dancer". Vengerov is a bad @#%$&!! Listen to his interpretation/performance of Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19 with Mstislav Rostropovich & the London Symphony Orchestra and tell me this guy isn't one of the giants of the violin today. Pa-leez

_"You scams are worse than a sewing circle". - Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)_


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## Guest

I have it on good authority that rotund *Ignaz Schuppanzigh* plays a mean _geiger_! Which is why I voted for Beethoven.


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## Albert7

Vilde Frang and Julia Fischer are rising on my lists lately.

A1 sauce for both of them.


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## Templeton

Alina Ibragimova has been mentioned already. I saw her two performances of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto, in Liverpool, last week and she was incredible. I provided a slightly more detailed review on the 'latest concerts' board.








I saw Augustin Hadelich, earlier this year, performing Sibelius's violin concerto, again in Liverpool, and considered his performance to be probably the most moving performance of any piece that I have ever seen and heard live. I subsequently bought all of his recordings and have not been disappointed. I see that he will be in Manchester, in early 2016, so will definitely be booking tickets to see him again.


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## dzc4627

lindsey stirling duh hahah


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## hpowders

Mutter's vibrato is annoying. Of today's violinists, Hilary Hahn is my favorite.


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## PlaySalieri

Leonidas Kavakos is good.


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## ormandy

Disregarding the violinist's age and the issue of 20th/21st century, Nathan Milstein's recordings are *exceptional*.

ormandy


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## Headphone Hermit

ormandy said:


> Disregarding the violinist's age and the issue of 20th/21st century, Nathan Milstein's recordings are *exceptional*.
> 
> ormandy


For those who have not heard him - check out his slow movement of Tchaikovsky or his solo Bach pieces. An absoulutley wonderful violinist


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## nightscape

After perusing my collection, I seem to go after Faust, Hahn and Mullova more often.


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## ricklee

Headphone Hermit said:


> For those who have not heard him - check out his slow movement of Tchaikovsky or his solo Bach pieces. An absoulutley wonderful violinist


I quite love Milstein's Beethoven violin concerto. I read how his tone was "silvery" and I can agree to what that meant.


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## Steatopygous

It seems this thread has morphed a bit from best young violinist to our all-time favourites. While I haven't read the middle pages, I haven't come across my own all-time favourite yet, Arthur Grumiaux. A seamless pure tone, wonderful musicality, astounding technique, equally at home in Bach or Berg, and a bit of a Belgian war hero to boot. 
Heifetz, obviously, for technique, and the most thrilling Sibelius I ever heard. Oistrakh, same virtues as Grumiaux. Perlman, warmth and beauty. Schneiderhan, Milstein, my goodness - I have to stop, or I will still be typing this list in half an hour. We are so fortunate at the astounding number and variety of violin virtuosi.


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## rvb

Alina Pogostkina, Vilde Frang


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## Judith

Joshua Bell. Only knew about him recently


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Guys, guys, the real answer is IRVINE ARDITTI.


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## WhoseLineFan

Hilary Hahn would have to be my favorite.


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## Animal the Drummer

Steatopygous said:


> It seems this thread has morphed a bit from best young violinist to our all-time favourites. While I haven't read the middle pages, I haven't come across my own all-time favourite yet, Arthur Grumiaux. A seamless pure tone, wonderful musicality, astounding technique, equally at home in Bach or Berg, and a bit of a Belgian war hero to boot.
> Heifetz, obviously, for technique, and the most thrilling Sibelius I ever heard. Oistrakh, same virtues as Grumiaux. Perlman, warmth and beauty. Schneiderhan, Milstein, my goodness - I have to stop, or I will still be typing this list in half an hour. We are so fortunate at the astounding number and variety of violin virtuosi.


Grumiaux for me too. He was also a far better pianist than most of us could ever hope to be.


----------



## Lyricus

I think Perlman, whom I was dismayed to miss last year, but I'm making up for that by seeing up conduct Juilliard Orchestra tomorrow.


----------



## Judith

My favourite violinist is Joshua Bell. His performances are wonderful, and the way he plays the violin gives a warm feeling.


----------



## Headphone Hermit

DavidA said:


> Good job violinists like Heifetz and Oistrakh lived in another age. If it came to promotional photos rather than violin playing they would never have got in the frame!


its a good job that when it came to playing the violin, their ability was what really mattered ... it did then, it still does


----------



## hpowders

My favorite violinist was Yehudi Menuhin. He wasn't technically perfect, but man could he play with heart and communicate.

He played the Elgar Violin Concerto like nobody else.


----------



## Headphone Hermit

hpowders said:


> My favorite violinist was Yehudi Menuhin. He wasn't technically perfect, but man could he play with heart and communicate.
> 
> He played the Elgar Violin Concerto like nobody else.


 .... and he was fantastic as a very young man too - His pioneering recordings of Bach's solo partitas (the first recorded?) were made when he was only 20 and the Elgar was recorded four years earlier than that


----------



## hpowders

Headphone Hermit said:


> .... and he was fantastic as a very young man too - His pioneering recordings of Bach's solo partitas (the first recorded?) were made when he was only 20 and the Elgar was recorded four years earlier than that


Yes. He was child prodigy and Elgar sort of "adopted" him.


----------



## hpowders

I seriously suggest to some of our younger members: check out the recordings of Nathan Milstein, Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szering. You may be glad you did.


----------



## Animal the Drummer

hpowders said:


> My favorite violinist was Yehudi Menuhin. He wasn't technically perfect, but man could he play with heart and communicate.
> 
> He played the Elgar Violin Concerto like nobody else.


That's certainly a top-notch performance and recording, regardless of Menuhin's age, but "like nobody else" is pushing it. I've loved the Elgar concerto for most of my life (most of which has been spent in Elgar country as it happens) and for me Menuhin's admittedly very fine reading doesn't quite scale the heights of Albert Sammons' white-hot version. _Vive la difference!_


----------



## Robert Eckert

From the ears of a jazz guitarist who has spent a lifetime playing in a completely different world, I have devoured Hilary Hahn's recordings. Her tone, technique and depth of interpretation are absolutely genius. I will be traveling to San Francisco from my ranch in Wyoming to hear her in person at Davies Hall next month. She is a world treasure.


----------



## bestellen

I'm supposed to do a biography about any person that was a imperative figure in whatever musical instrument one is currently playing. Since I play the violin, i chose Paganini. I would like the title of my presentation to be written in Italian, so what would the accurate translation for the following:


"The greatest violinist that ever walked on earth, Niccolò Paganini."

and (as my second option) "The greatest violin virtuoso of all time"


----------



## Pugg

_For me, hands down:_

​ Also Yehudi Menuhin and Itzhak Perlman:tiphat:


----------



## Animal the Drummer

If he could play with his hands down, he really *was* the greatest. ;-)


----------



## PlaySalieri

In the Menuhin competition this year a phenomenal young talent is to rep britain

mathilde milwidsky






she's my tip to win


----------



## PlaySalieri

hpowders said:


> I seriously suggest to some of our younger members: check out the recordings of Nathan Milstein, Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szering. You may be glad you did.


agreed about Milstein and Szeryng - but not Menuhin! He had his heyday when he was very young but I dont believe his recordings demonstrate he was in the same league as other recognised greats.


----------



## Headphone Hermit

stomanek said:


> agreed about Milstein and Szeryng - but not Menuhin! He had his heyday when he was very young but I dont believe his recordings demonstrate he was in the same league as other recognised greats.


Menuhin played magnificently and left a very fine recorded legacy. I can accept that his very recognisable style isn't to everyone's taste, but he is justifiably recognised to be a major C20th century violinist.


----------



## majlis

IMHO, between 1928 and, lets say, 1945, more or less, Lord Menuhin was one of the best violinists alive. Have nearly all his young recordings, and to me they are a treasure I'll always keep.


----------



## Pugg

majlis said:


> IMHO, between 1928 and, lets say, 1945, more or less, Lord Menuhin was one of the best violinists alive. Have nearly all his young recordings, and to me they are a treasure I'll always keep.


Hear, hear :tiphat:


----------



## Vaneyes

One of the greats, Yehudi. I particularly enjoyed his twilight collaboration with Grappelli. :tiphat:


----------



## SalieriIsInnocent

I don't know, seems like most of the violinists I love that are still around are pushing 50 or way past it. I'll consider 45 young, and say Anne Akiko Meyers.









I feel like she's got the great combination of emotion and technicality.


----------



## Pugg

Saw him last year, sounded very promising
:tiphat:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Siem


----------



## DavidA

Headphone Hermit said:


> Menuhin played magnificently and left a very fine recorded legacy. I can accept that his very recognisable style isn't to everyone's taste, but he is justifiably recognised to be a major C20th century violinist.


While I rate Menuhin as a great musician and ambassador for music he certainly wasn't up there with the greatest violinists during the latter half of his career.


----------



## DavidA

Despite his obvious idiocies (e.g. his affected working class accent and punk hair-do) Kennedy is a very fine violinist. Just that when he starts talking he gets so annoying you forget about how good his playing is!


----------



## majlis

On Menuhin:That's what I said. Till 45 more or less. From that date, he only went down. Physical problems. But before, a fantastic player. One only example is enough: listen to his early recording of Ravel's Avodah. If it not move you to tears, it's because you'r deaf.


----------



## Pugg

majlis said:


> That's what I said. Till 45 more or less. From that date, he only went down. Physical problems. But before, a fantastic player. One only example is enough: listen to his early recording of Ravel's Avodah. If it not move you to tears, it's because you'r deaf.


His Walton disc is pretty good to :tiphat:


----------



## dieter

A violinist who ended up being chief second fiddle in the Melbourne Symphony in the 70's was taught by Enescu. He said Enescu told him until Menuhin became so neurotic he couldn't find a note to save his life, Menuhin was the greatest fiddler the world had ever seen.
I believe the violinist I spoke to was Andre Hadges.
I love Menuhin so much as a human being that I paid a small fortune to wince while he hacked away in Melbourne in about 1988 because I respect him so much. 
He was interviewed by a semi respectable though complete music illiterate named Margaret Throsby - she once asked a violinist about Brahm's 3rd Violin Concerto - before the millennium. He was asked what music he would like to conduct to celebrate the Millennium. His reply made me burst into tears. He said he would like to conduct a Requiem for European Civilization in honor of all the people the Europeans had murdered and butchered in the past 5 centuries.
My hat has been off to you, Yehudi, ever since.
He was a very great man. A pity he forgot how to play the fiddle.


----------



## Pat Fairlea

hpowders said:


> I seriously suggest to some of our younger members: check out the recordings of Nathan Milltown, Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szering. You may be glad you did.


May I add David Oistrakh to that admirable recommendation? Even on the poor Melodiya recordings of his day, a wonderfully rich, warm tone sings out. And he had a great sense of the shape of a piece. His 1948 recording of Beethoven's violin concerto is a masterclass and a joy.


----------



## majlis

I've nearly 90 CD of Oistrakh, since his first recordings in Warsow in 1935, on ocassion of his part in the first Wieniawsky contest (he got second behind Neveu, a thing I'll never accept nor understand). BTW, Nathan Milltown? Who's he? Never hear of him.


----------



## Barbebleu

Quite keen on Nicola Benedetti's playing. She does a fabulous version of the Korngold Violin Concerto.


----------



## Baregrass

majlis said:


> BTW, Nathan Milltown? Who's he? Never hear of him.


Possibly the OP meant Nathan Milstein.


----------



## acitak 7

*katica illenyi best violinist?*



Baregrass said:


> Possibly the OP meant Nathan Milstein.


best violinist? katica illenyi, libertango, schindlers list, sabre dance, monti czardas, franz Lehar, liszt Hungarian rhapsody, brahms Hungarian dance 5,bolero, kilar waltz, flight of the bumblebee.


----------



## DavidA

dieter said:


> A violinist who ended up being chief second fiddle in the Melbourne Symphony in the 70's was taught by Enescu. He said Enescu told him until Menuhin became so neurotic he couldn't find a note to save his life, Menuhin was the greatest fiddler the world had ever seen.
> I believe the violinist I spoke to was Andre Hadges.
> I love Menuhin so much as a human being that I paid a small fortune to wince while he hacked away in Melbourne in about 1988 because I respect him so much.
> He was interviewed by a semi respectable though complete music illiterate named Margaret Throsby - she once asked a violinist about Brahm's 3rd Violin Concerto - before the millennium. He was asked what music he would like to conduct to celebrate the Millennium. His reply made me burst into tears. He said he would like to conduct a Requiem for European Civilization in honor of all the people the Europeans had murdered and butchered in the past 5 centuries.
> My hat has been off to you, Yehudi, ever since.
> He was a very great man. *A pity he forgot how to play the fiddle*.


This is a very interesting documentary about Menuhin which was screened in the Uk recently.






Interestingly it makes the point that Menuhin was a child prodigy who played so naturally he didn't have to think about it. It was when he started thinking about his playing that this provoked a crisis and he almost had to relearn everything from scratch.


----------



## acitak 7

Charlie Siem plays Romance from Gadfly with piano accompaniment, on youtube very very good


----------



## adrien

Oistrakh also does a mind-blowing Brahms, and his Khatchaturian is the reference (on Chant du Monde). Mind-blowing.


----------



## Pugg

acitak 7 said:


> Charlie Siem plays Romance from Gadfly with piano accompaniment, on youtube very very good


He's playing very well, on the other hand, long way to go.


----------



## fluteman

Pat Fairlea said:


> May I add David Oistrakh to that admirable recommendation? Even on the poor Melodiya recordings of his day, a wonderfully rich, warm tone sings out. And he had a great sense of the shape of a piece. His 1948 recording of Beethoven's violin concerto is a masterclass and a joy.


Funny thing about Oistrakh -- on first hearing, you may think, "Good, but nothing other top violinists couldn't equal", but as the decades pass and you hear an endless parade of newer versions of most of what he recorded, over and over you realize just how hard his version or versions are to beat. His concept of everything from Bach and Vivaldi to Shostakovich and Hindemith was dead on, and he was able to execute his concepts successfully every time, whether live or in the studio, and regardless of who he was playing with. The opposite of the finicky Gould or Richter types for whom the stars had to align perfectly before they could play anything. And with a relatively small salary from his Soviet bosses, he couldn't even buy the very best violin. According to his friend Nathan Milstein, he finally managed to buy a Strad, but not one of the really good ones (I think nearly all the original varnish had been removed.) But he sure got good results with it.


----------



## lionelherschtel

For violin lovers, I just discovered 2 amazing playlists on Spotify featuring the best classical works performed by Julia Fischer and Arabella Steinbacher with the dutch record label PENTATONE. I strongly recommend them!


----------



## majlis

You mean Khatchaturians. He recorded the concerto 4 times. It was one of his favourites. (and I've the 4 versions).


----------



## majlis

IMHO, since 1928 to, lets say, 1940, Lord Menuhin was one of the gratest violinist alive. After that time he begun to deteriorate, and end as a sad caricature. But his recordings as a teen are just incredible, absolutely marvellous!


----------



## Pugg

lionelherschtel said:


> For violin lovers, I just discovered 2 amazing playlists on Spotify featuring the best classical works performed by Julia Fischer and Arabella Steinbacher with the dutch record label PENTATONE. I strongly recommend them!


Nice first post, welcome to Talk Classical.


----------



## pcnog11

Sarah Chang is my choice. Hahn and Fisher are very good as well.


----------



## pcnog11

pcnog11 said:


> Sarah Chang is my choice. Hahn and Fisher are very good as well.


I am talking about young violinist - Sarah Chang is my pick, however, Benedetti seems to be emerging lately as a fine violinist.

Perlman is my all time favorite, many pieces he plays echos with the soul and grasp the heart!

Since some of the discussions on this tread talked about the violin, how would you rate a Stradivari vs a Guarneri. I think Guarneris are underrated because most famous violinist is playing a Stradivari that give the brand so much fame.


----------



## hpowders

victormpaz said:


> In your opinion who is the top young violinist? Joshua Bell, Hillary Hahn, Julia fisher...?


I would vote for Hilary Hahn. Her performance of the Schoenberg Violin Concerto is extraordinary.


----------



## fluteman

hpowders said:


> I would vote for Hilary Hahn. Her performance of the Schoenberg Violin Concerto is extraordinary.


I especially like Hilary Hahn in modern or contemporary pieces. And good for her for not relying on the same old romantic warhorses, which for me are not what she does best anyway.


----------



## lsorbe

My first post!

My current favorite is Augustin Hadelich. He's not so well-known yet, young and seemingly has it all- great technique, great passion, a scholarly understanding of the score.














Next, I enjoy James Ehnes, Hilary Hahn, Anne-Sophie Mutter for different reasons. I like James for the same reasons I like Augustin- he has great technique and reads the score well. He also seems like the nicest guy. Hilary's playing and career has been as stable and studied as one could wish. I love her encores album and concept! She is also extremely approachable and stays long after concerts to talk with her fans. Anne-Sophie Mutter has fabulous control of her (gorgeous-sounding) instrument, though I may not agree with her interpretations so much all the time.

As for the old guard, I'm a fan of Oistrakh (how could one not be?). Josef Szigeti had some really fun moments and I also enjoy certain recordings- Szeryng Bach, Grumiaux Encores, and many Heifetz recordings (Scottish Fantasy comes to mind as does Tchaikovsky Concerto).


----------



## neofite

DavidA said:


> I think it is unfair to compare the younger generation to Heifetz as he was absolutely in a class of his own even in his own day. Of course, there were other violinists who gave great performances but Heifetz not only played superbly, he anticipated the modern style of playing - with generally brisk tempi. I must confess I was shocked when I first heard Heifetz's Beethoven concerto but the composer marked it Allegro ma non troppo and not Andante, as so many had played it at out of some misplaced reverence. Vengerov is guilty of this in his recording. Heifetz realises Beethoven's intentions superbly.
> I've just bought discs of Heifetz's RCA recordings of Beethoven. I think where he could be subject to criticism is in chamber music where he is so good that he completely eclipses his partners. I think especially of the violin sonatas where poor Emmanuel Bay is trounced! He is also not helped by being backwardly balanced. Heifetz was much better with a more assertive partner like Mosiewitch - but he also suffers from the balance. Pity Heifetz's character defects and his ego got in the way of the music some of the time. But listen to his Brahms concerto with the equally fearsome Reiner. Now that's a meeting of strong minds which is positively volcanic.


I have always held particularly great admiration for Jascha Heifetz. But is it a generally held opinion that he was "absolutely in a class of his own"? If so, in what specific ways, or was it with regard to all aspects of violin playing?

Also, could anybody shed any light on the reason(s) for this superiority? For example, was he born with some unusually great potential that other players are lacking? Or was it mainly the result of having the best teachers and intense dedication? Or all of the above?


----------



## quietfire

I don't know if he is the best, but certainly my favorite:

James Ehnes.

Would probably like him more if he wasn't taken lol.


----------



## Merl

Currently I really rate Chloe Hanslip. Plenty of other good 'uns but Hanslip is special.


----------



## hpowders

Rachel Barton Pine, not only a terrific violinist, but champions obscure concertos such as the Joachim and Clement violin concertos.


----------



## Janspe

Can't say that I'd rank anyone as _the best_ violinist, but *Isabelle Faust* is probably my personal favourite. She's a very intellectual performer, and plays everything with a startling understanding of the score. She's recorded quite a varied repertoire already: her discography includes the concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Dvořák, and the sonatas of Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms - just a to mention a few. Quite a lot of other chamber music as well! But what I admire about her the most is her constant dedication to obscure, modern and contemporary works: her recordings include concertos by Berg, Bartók, Jolivet, Martinů, Hartmann and Lancino. I can't wait to hear which pieces she's going to record next...

And I'm also seeing her live pretty soon, she's coming to Helsinki to perform the Berg - one the highlights of this season for me, for sure!


----------



## Jos

Oistrakh, Milstein, Perlman from my "physical collection"
Sarah Chang and Hillary Hahn in the digital domain.


----------



## Pugg

Charlie Sheen is coming people.


----------



## wkasimer

hpowders said:


> Rachel Barton Pine, not only a terrific violinist, but champions obscure concertos such as the Joachim and Clement violin concertos.


And she had an interesting podcast:

http://rachelbartonpine.libsyn.com/

It looks like she gave it up a few years ago, but there are 80 episodes still available for listening.


----------



## Pat Fairlea

I'm an Oistrakh devotee.
Of the current crop, I'm a fan of Benedetti in part for her fine playing and in part for all the work she does to get children engaged with CM.


----------



## DavidA

neofite said:


> I have always held particularly great admiration for Jascha Heifetz. But is it a generally held opinion that he was "absolutely in a class of his own"? If so, in what specific ways, or was it with regard to all aspects of violin playing?
> 
> Also, could anybody shed any light on the reason(s) for this superiority? For example, was he born with some unusually great potential that other players are lacking? Or was it mainly the result of having the best teachers and intense dedication? Or all of the above?


It was Kreisler who, on hearing the young Heifetz, said, "Gentlemen we should all break our bows."

I think it was a combination of facts, a natural born skill, a fabulous teacher in Auer and incredible dedication. Sadly he appears to have been a pretty obnoxious human being. Thankfully this is not reflected in the magic of his playing.


----------



## adrien

majlis said:


> You mean Khatchaturians. He recorded the concerto 4 times. It was one of his favourites. (and I've the 4 versions).


My favourite is the Chant du Monde one, recorded in 1965 with composer conducting the Moscow Radio Orchestra. I do have his EMI recording as well which I don't like as well, in terms of recording quality but also the performance. I think he mellowed out a bit in the 1965 recording, it feels gutsier.


----------



## Brahmsian Colors

I enjoy most the playing of Hilary Hahn.


----------



## MarieKittel

reliabilityprerequisite said:


> Bit late to the party, but I've always been blown away by Sayaka Shoji, particularly by her rendition of Brahms. Anyone else?


Super late here, but I do believe Sayaka Shoji is one of the best violinists alive. I heard her live last spring, and she was playing Respighi's Concerto Gregoriano. It was absolutely stunning. Her technique is great, her understanding of the composers is evident no matter what she plays. Her Brahms is superb, and the same can be said about her Prokofiev. 
I find her terribly underrated.


----------



## Josquin13

I find it impossible to pick a single favorite or even a small selection of favorites among today's living "young violinists", being that there's so much talent out there right now (as Itzhak Perlman recently said, the future for the violin looks very bright), but here's a sizable list of the top 50 that have impressed me in recent years, either in concert or on records or on You Tube, and I'll try to provide some links for those that aren't quite as well known (interestingly, there are a great many excellent female violinists today, and period violinists too, where I think much of the violin talent has emerged in recent years):

1. Alina Ibragimova--who plays on both modern and period violins/bows/strings, interchangeably. She's remarkable: 



.
2. Lisa Batiashvili--her playing of Magnus Lindberg's Violin Concerto No. 1 is jaw dropping: 



3. Elina Vähällä--a superb, underrated violinist. I'd like to see more recordings from her--how about releasing her Sibelius VC with Okko Kamu, BIS?--here are several YT links, since Vähällä isn't as well known as she should be:


















4. Janine Jansen--another remarkable talent.
5. Emlyn Ngai--period violinist: I've liked his Bach Violin Sonatas, with harpsichordist Peter Watchorn: 



6. Pablo Valetti--one of my favorite period violinists today, his set of Bach Violin Sonatas, with harpischordist Celine Frisch, is remarkable. I prefer it to any set I've heard from a modern violinist: 



7. Baiba Skride--she's excellent in the lesser known Martin, Stravinsky, & Honegger Violin Concertos: 



8. Christian Tetzlaff--I'm surprised no one has mentioned him yet--excellent soloist and chamber musician.
9. Helene Schmitt--period violinist: 



10. Leila Josefowicz--who has championed & premiered many interesting new compositions (written for her)--by composers Salonen, Knussen, Adés, Mackey, Colin Matthews, and Adams:










11. Christina Åstrand--who has made a reputation for herself in modern works, such as the violin concertos of Nørgard, Gubaidulina, & Ligeti: 



12. Rebecca Hirsch--another excellent violinist actively involved in playing new violin concertos: 



13. Johannes Søe Hansen--yet another violinist that has been playing contemporary works--such as the music of Vagn Holmboe: 



 .
14. Ulf Wallin--a versatile violinist who has a special affinity for the violin works of Robert Schumann, Kurt Atterberg, etc.:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/robert-schumann-the-violin-sonatas-mw0002279106








15. Kristof Barati: 



16. Hilary Hahn
17. Anton Steck--period violinist. I've particularly liked his violin playing in the Schuppanzigh-Quartett, whose Haydn & Beethoven Quartets are remarkable: 



, as well as his various recordings with harpsichordist Christian Rieger.
18. Chiara Banchini--period violinist (& leader of the period group, Ensemble 415): 



19. Amadine Beyer--period violinist.
20. Elizabeth Wallfisch--period violinist, she's superb in the VCs of Telemann & J.S. Bach.
21. Stephano Montanari--period violinist, he's wonderful in Corelli & Vivaldi:








22. Enrico Gatti--period violinist, who's excellent in Corelli, & Mozart: 



 .
23. Enrico Onofri--period violinist.
24. Elizabeth Blumenstock--period violinist: 



 .
25. Enrico Casazza--period violinist.
Nicola Benedetti
26. Corey Cerovsek--a violinist, pianist, and mathematician, who's excellent in Beethoven & Brahms: 



27. Renaud Capuçon
28. Pekka Kuusisto:








29. Pierre Fouchenneret--excellent set of Beethoven Violin Sonatas 1-10, with pianist Romain Descharmes: 



30. David Grimal: 



31. Henning Kraggerud: 



32. Frank Peter Zimmerman
33. Gil Shaham
34. Tobias Feldman: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/Jun/Sibelius_VC_357.htm
35. Lorenzo Gatto--interesting new cycle of Beethoven Violin Sonatas, in progress, on the Alpha label: 



36. Isabelle Faust
37. Sayaka Shoji--a former student of the great Italian violinist, Uto Ughi, who studied with Georges Enescu--which is an impressive pedigree. She's a very good violinist, and a fine musician: 



38. Thomas Zehetmair
39. Arabella Steinbacher
40. Simone Lamsma--from what little I've heard of her playing, Lamsma is a phenomenal talent!: 



41. Lara St. John
42. Sergy Khachatryan
43. Anne-Sophie Mutter--Mutter is another violinist that has actively championed and commissioned contemporary works, from composers Dutilleux, Gubaidulina, Lutoslawski, Moret, Penderecki, Rihm, etc. She's excellent in the violin works of Mozart too.
44. Viktoria Mullova
45. Julia Fischer--I've particularly liked her Mozart Violin Concertos 1-5, and Sinfonia Concertante.
46. Leonidas Kavakos
47. Maxim Vengerov
48. Joshua Bell
49. Vilde Frang 
50. Isabella Van Keulen--last but not least.

I haven't heard Augustin Hadelich yet, who Templeton mentions favorably, but I will try to. Nor do I know the playing of Vadim Repin, David Garrett, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Rachel Barton Pine, Ted Papavrami, Jennifer Koh, Ilya Kaler, Tasmin Little, Chloe Hanslip, Susan Ogata, Sarah Chang, or James Ehnes, either. Plus, I've doubtlessly forgotten to mention some violinists too (such as, I've just now remembered, Rachel Podger, François Fernandez, Julian Rachlin, Riccardo Minasi, and Tatiana Samouil--whose Prokofiev I've liked: https://www.amazon.com/Prokofiev-Complete-Violin-Sonatas-Dig/dp/B000H5VESU ).

I'd place living violinists Salvatore Accardo, Uto Ughi, Arve Tellefsen, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Augustin Dumay, Gidon Kremer, Ida Haendel, Elmar Oliveira (whose Barber VC I like), Stanley Ritchie, Itzhak Perlman, Boris Belkin, Kyung Wha Chung, Pinkas Zukerman, Silvia Markovici, Ivry Gitlis, Aaron Rosand, Gerard Poulet, and Shlomo Mintz (whose Prokofiev I like) in the older generation.

Nevertheless, I don't plan to stop listening to my old favorites anytime soon--such as Michael Rabin, David Oistrakh, Josef Suk, Arthur Grumiaux, Yehudi Menuhin, and Nathan Milstein.


----------



## wkasimer

Josquin13 said:


> I find it impossible to pick a single favorite or even a small selection of favorites among today's living "young violinists", being that there's so much talent out there right now (as Itzhak Perlman recently said, the future for the violin looks very bright), but here's a sizable list of the top 50 that have impressed me in recent years, either in concert or on records or on You Tube, and I'll try to provide some links for those that aren't quite as well known (interestingly, there are a great many excellent female violinists today, and period violinists too, where I think much of the violin talent has emerged in recent years):
> 
> 1. Alina Ibragimova--who plays on both modern and period violins/bows/strings, interchangeably. She's remarkable:
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> (rest of list snipped)


That's quite a list! I've heard most of them on recordings, but only a couple live (Tetzlaff and Kavakos), both impressive. I don't see Nikolaj Znaider on your list, but he deserves to be.

As for Ibragimova, I really don't hear it. I've heard a number of her recordings - Bach S&P, Beethoven sonatas with Tiberghien, Ysaye solo works , and a few others - and I find her tone so thin and strident that I can't take more than a few minutes of her.


----------



## Josquin13

wkasimer said:


> That's quite a list! I've heard most of them on recordings, but only a couple live (Tetzlaff and Kavakos), both impressive. I don't see Nikolaj Znaider on your list, but he deserves to be.
> 
> As for Ibragimova, I really don't hear it. I've heard a number of her recordings - Bach S&P, Beethoven sonatas with Tiberghien, Ysaye solo works , and a few others - and I find her tone so thin and strident that I can't take more than a few minutes of her.


I know of Znaider, but have yet to hear his playing. I'll have to remedy that. Thanks for suggesting him.

I can understand your not liking Ibragimova. I didn't take her playing right away, either (her Mendelssohn VC, for example, is quite different, and challenging, interpretatively). She doesn't have a big lush (or sweet) sound either (which is deliberate on her part, I think), nor does she play in a recognizable older style, as she's been so heavily influenced by her experiences with period ensembles (such as Chiaroscuro). Clearly, she sees the music she plays in a period style, even when playing on a modern instrument. I find her sound and intricately detailed playing works best in the music of Mozart & Haydn. & I think she has a very special affinity for Mozart. I've also liked her Hyperion Ravel & Lekeu CD, along with her Wigmore Beethoven series, too (& a live performance of Ysaye). But she's not David Oistrakh, it's a different take on Beethoven. (Nor she she sound anything like her teacher, Yehudi Menuhin, even though they had a deep musical bond.)

If you have any interest in giving her another try, here are several links to recordings that made me a big fan of hers:


















& here's her rather atypical Mendelssohn VC, too:


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## Brahmsian Colors

I would add Janine Jansen to my other previous choice, Hillary Hahn.


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## MarcoLusius

Alina Pogostkina, Vilde Frang


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