David Oistrakh - Ysaye Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27, #3

[negativegiraffe]

what a sound !!!! wow...

[wavelength5236]

Casual observation leads me to the conclusion that vrituosi do not make very good composers. Probably because they put technical considerations ahead of musical ones. It takes a very musical artist to turn that kind of composition around and make it sound beautiful rather than just flashy. Such is the case here. Beautiful!

[TheGaetano62]

tutto lo scibile violinistico fino ad allora è compreso in questa sublime sonata,grande king david sanguigna interpretazione

[superfluousness321]

The ending is very witty. Typical Ysaye.

[SoundsofDissonance]

I really dislike when people compare violinist's interpretation of a certain piece. I think it is asinine, shameful and destroys the point of the music. Each violinist plays a piece the way he or she feels it. So it's not a matter of whether the tempi are within the "acceptable range of the composer", but rather the violinist's interpretation of the emotion of the piece. Stop analyzing the hair splitting details and just listen. You will get so much more out of classical this way.

[sevcik2]

Superb interpretation!!!!

[Hermesnoeck]

Part II: Oistrakh is not the only one getting trapped by virtuoso manner here, nearly everybody is when playing this piece. To be clear: I am the greatest fan of King David and the "virtuoso showing of" usually is not his style, he just doesn't need to. But here ...

[calloffthedogs]

Agree. I wonder what Leonid Kogan would have done with this because it fits his style better than it does Oistrakh.

[TheGaetano62]

@Hermesnoeck oistrack is a misician not only

violiniist most of people dont now nothing about this

[Hermesnoeck]

Once again King David has shown everybody...!

BUT Why is everybody - including him - hurrying in the part from 3:21 ? The tempo that the composer Ysaye (himself a famous violinist) has written in the score is 126 (metronome), Oistrakh here plays 168 !! This may sound very impressing but unfortunately some of the subtile details in the chromatic are lost, even though he playes them exactly - the human ear has limits and in that speed it is impossible to enjoy these details.

[OzzyKingofKings]

@Hermesnoeck I hate to rain on your parade but I'd like to point out some things:

1) The tempo marking I see in the score (quarter = 126) may not even be Ysaye's own wishes. Often I find that parenthetical tempo indications are the suggestions of publishers (many of whom believe that the Italian words for time indications are rigidly defined within a set of bpm markings and never waver).

[OzzyKingofKings]

@Hermesnoeck

2) The tempo marking appears at the start of the Allegro part of the sonata; considering the multitude of other writings that appear as it progresses and the varying moods and atmospheres the sonata traverses, such a tempo change at the end of the double bar at around 3:20 is, I feel, musically and interpretively acceptable.

[OzzyKingofKings]

@Hermesnoeck

3) In addition, considering Ysaye's own playing (VERY expansive in tempo compared to others; listen to the Humoresque, which is luxuriously beautiful), I'm not sure he'd approve of 126 at the eighth for this sonata anyway; it's fiendishly fast! Much faster than Oistrakh plays it (in fact, Oistrakh at the passage around 3:20 doesn't even get up to 126...). On the whole, I feel Oistrakh's choice for tempi are definitely quite tasteful and very well executed.

[LEOSMESSI]

"KING OISTRAKH"

[sovietviolin]

Perfection! Another benchmark from King David.

[wichitazen]

I absolutely agree. I listened to Vengerov and Hahn, and although they are good, very slick and clean, with nice emotion, they sound like children next to Oistrakh.

[BeneBon]

This makes me want to practice

[Benebea]

Semplicemente meraviglioso e' il piu'grande di tutti.

[blapi94]

Senza alcun dubbio! Incarna ancora oggi l'immagine musicale del miglior violinismo del secolo scorso e modello per noi violinisti attuali.

[apogram]

the end of this piece..no one should play it again..they cannot reach this level..they all play like kids compared with kind of power...

[ItzhakRoxMySox]

Vengerov's version is so incredible. But my goodness David...

[rybakostis]

He is just genius.

[maxhansendk]

Oistrakh is way above the rest in this piece!

[kosmamkosmam]

That's good, but i prefer vengerov performance...

[devaraja42]

I'm quite sure that Maxim Vengerov prefers this one.

[DPreamp]

Absolutely phenomenal! His interpretation is so tremendously musically satisfying, I can't help but think of how much the composers would've loved Oistrakh if they had lived to hear him play their compositions!!

[cleopatra11]

GENIUS. My Absolute Love.

[Lamturnik]

Ultimate Violin,

I thank God for sharing heart!

[SirJohnR]

Oistrakh gives every note as much sound as possible. That´s just amaizing!

But i prefer Vengerovs version of this Tune because his interpretation is more transparent and it´s, in my opinion eazyer to listen to him

[festershred]

my private teacher has a recording of himself playing this and its amazing look up todd ehle..

[OriginalMoonbeam]

Absolutely beautiful! This violinist achieved his skills the hard way, talented yes but not a prodigy. He learned through extreme work and discipline fueled by his love of the instrument. Nothing but admiration for him!

[Dogaradodia]

True but not quite. David Oistrakh came in second to Ginette Neveu in 1935 Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition. But as fate would have it, he eventually regained the top prize. The asteroid 42516 Oistrach is named in honor of him and his son, Igor Oistrakh.

[nicolotar]

What happened to them ? ... They took those sounds with them just as Stradivari did with his Crafts.

[iggorr82]

Osistrakh performance of this piece is the most sincere musicianship, without desire to show off; he just plays music that he feels without cheap effects to show virtuosity. That is why this performance so fantastically beautiful.

Thank you for posting this.

[Lukecash12]

I agree, it's almost as if you were listening to a virtuoso play in his own home, interpretting the way he really pleases.

[Gallipoli717]

Wow!! This is fantastic...how can I get this recording. I love Oistrakh.

[VvG1853]

I heard this piece played by Kremer and Schmid.

And I think Oistrakh's interpretation is finest.

It's rejoice to see that one great musician show his respect to other great one,like this case,Ysaye to Enescu.

[NestorAudinotviolins]

we are all in your debt for you posting these moments in the history of violin playing. These unimaginably great violinists made the world a better place. Oistrakh = godlike violinist

[theViolinDreamer]

What a great master he was!It gave me chills when listening to this.

[NestorAudinotviolins]

Oh MY GOSH!!! WOW! INCREDIBLE! what a rare treasure! Bless you for posting this!