Added: 3 years ago
From: Speedbid744
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  • So many of the newer violinist's play this far better now. There is no doubt that there is a lot of sentimentality about the old masters but time and progress marches on.

    For one I just watched Soyoung Yoons version on youtube and she extracts a far better and more emotional sound that Heifetz does in this video. Also I saw Sarah Chang play this live at the Barbican in February 2010 and again far better than this. He would struggle with the competition if he were around today.

  • @lovemetu 'He would struggle .....' With respect that is a most uninformed comment. Clearly you know nothing of Heifetz. Just because someone emotes more doesn't make it better. Too many violinists today over gild the lilly and think that's good, that's why they all tend to sound the same. Heifetz knew exactly where to put his emotion. Listen to his 'Scottish Fantasy' or the Adagio from the 'Sinding Suite' or the 'Vitali Chaconne' or..

    He would decimate the competition if he were around today!

  • @Grancino1697

    A lot of the critics of his day thought that his music was clinical and emotionless. Yes I have already listed to 'scottish' fantasy' . When you say he would decimate the competition if he were around, well you make it sound like a sports event, how ridiculous !! All I can say is that I enjoy the 2 versions that I mentioned before far more than this one and I stick to my opinion.

  • @lovemetu Hi. I totally respect your opinion in preferring other versions of the Franck Sonata over the Heifetz one.

    Heifetz caused a sensation at his debut in 1917 and for the next forty years remained the standard to which mere mortal violinist aspired. Accusations of coldness or unemotion in his playing usually came from people who didn't really know what they were talking about. Ivry Gitlis touched on this point in 'The Art of Violin' film which is well worth viewing.

  • @Grancino1697

    Part of the reason that I think Heifetz would not be such a draw nowadays is that he is a violinist of his time. Stiff, upright and unemotional in his performances. Modern style is more in the way of Dorothy De Lay teaching, her students were trained to express themselves more than in Heifetz;s day. Dorothy De Lay told her Students to view themselves as acters playing the violin. Modern audience's enjoy acts like Sarah Chang for expression, in both visual and musical aspects.

  • @lovemetu You may well be right about that but I think it says more about the times we live in, where presentation often supercedes content, than his abilities. He was 'upright' but never stiff - he had the most

    marvellous, fluid control of his physical instrument. The emotion and expression can be heard in his playing,not grimacing and swaying all over the place which I find irritating.De Lay's greatest protege, Perlman, regarded Heifetz as ''God''.

  • @Grancino1697

    At the end of the day most young people are not going to classical concerts anymore, they prefer the modern styles of music. For this wonderful music to survive it must have people going to the concerts, eg bums on seats !! Its no good just sitting watching old youtube video's. I try to see as many live concerts as I can , its so wonderful to see and hear live classical music. Justin Beiber , lady ga ga , rap etc getting millions of views on youtube, classical very few .

  • @lovemetu I agree - live classical concerts are great! I just think it's a shame when great musicians who are not around anymore are viewed as 'old hat' simply because of the nature of the medium (e.g black & white filming,non digital recording) when for me I only have to play a Heifetz recording or watch one of his Masterclasses and he becomes a living, breathing artist of immense ability.

  • @Grancino1697

    So who do you like of the modern violinists /artists and who have you seen play live of the current crop and the older ones ? I listen to far more classical now as I grow older , My first musical love was the Beatles and I loved the 60s and 70s area music. I dont like modern pop music. Now via youtube I started watching, listening to all the classics, old and young artists and Orchestras etc. So after a while I started to go to London, seeing the concerts live, so wonderful !!

  • @lovemetu I do not get to concerts now as much as in the past, but in my time I have seen Ricci, Menuhin, Rostropovich, Kyung Wha-Chung.....The top soloists today are always worth watching but it is often hard to tell them apart - something you could/can always do with Heifetz/Milstein/Kreisler/Menu­hin. These old guys really new how to phrase a piece! I have a wide musical taste but my first love was Classical - I have played violin since '68. I hope you go to and enjoy many more concerts!

  • @Grancino1697

    Perhaps you could put a video of yourself playing your violin on youtube, you dont have to be of the highest standard to post one !!

  • @Grancino1697

    The best concert I have been to was this year at the royal festival hall to see Sarah Chang play the beautiful bruch violin concerto with the royal philharmonic orchestra, who also played Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony which was wonderful and Respighi's Fountains of Rome. Sarah played so wonderfully to a standing ovation, amazing to hear and see her live, she was a very popular violinist with the audience which also had a lot of young Oriental people who had come to see her play.

  • @lovemetu

    After your comment I decided to also watch Soyoung Yoons video on youtube and I must admit that I enjoyed her version far more. I have also read that Sarah Chang learnt to play the Tchaikovsky violin concerto in only 2 weeks and recorded it at the mere age of only 11 years old and yet when Tchaikovsky originally composed this music he was told that it was unplayable by a leading violinist of the day. I think that with modern training performances sound a lot better than in the past

  • The greatest violinist the world will ever know.

  • Oh my god. This is probably one of the first times music has ever brought tears to my eyes. This is so... well... played... <3

  • I love this sonata!!!Just perfect!!!

  • real, beautiful romantic playing.. WOW

  • in the pictures where he is old he reminds me of batman's battler. :) no offense.

  • amazing...

  • I have all his collection. 46 CD's

  • I'm jealous.

  • @takhirviolinest does this sonata with rubenstein and heifetz come in CDs? i thought its only on vinyls

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