Zino Francescatti plays Chopin Nocturne

[violinhunter2]

Had it not been for Francescatti, I would never have taken up the violin. His father was his only teacher. He was assistant concertmaster of some orchestra for a time. Very generous man.

[HelenaNV]

The static makes it special. :)

[danviolco01]

Genial interpretacion!!!!

[Rephrat]

il Marques del violino.

[markhahl]

I should have also said this is so far above the so called artists of today.

[markhahl]

why do people get stuck in isims, can't we just listen the exquisite beauty of tone an music that is going on. yes tastes change, are they all good, no but music must always be about exploration and growth.

[mophoplz]

Francescatti's recordings have always been like forgotten treasures that I feel blessed to come across, full of that gorgeous golden tone. Thanks for sharing, aimson.

[sneezersneezer]

I just saw this gentleman playing on a public Arts channel. He was amazing. This piece on the other hand, is why I generally think that violins are for old women.

[ancysest]

@sneezersneezer you are such a huge idiot

[natamasky]

Chills up the spine...

[sneezersneezer]

@natamasky - I'll trade ya. I'm bleeding from the ears!

[harryvederci]

I studied with Zino one summer in the

70's. He had the biggest, fullest, richest tone I had ever heard from a violin. Also a very kind man.

[wanturlove]

Zino was always one of my top five favorite violinists, ever since I saw him in concert in Whittier, California, around 1960 or 1961.

[lecielmalice]

thanks for quality sound God!!!!

[OriginalMoonbeam]

Never thought about it that way but he does play with a French accent which is why he is so recognizable

[kristmist]

It would be good to know what opus this is and which nocturne. :D some basic info like that. :)

[priscianusjr]

kristmist, This is Chopin's Nocturne opus 27 no.2 in the arrangement for violin and piano by the German violinist August Wilhelmj (1845-1908). The original key is D flat, but in the transcription it is in D.

[kristmist]

Thanks a lot !!

[goodchessactor]

Thanks for the info. Db is probably the worse key for the violin and D is the best.

[rareviolintreasures]

omg that sounds so much better when a violin is able to bring out the vocal quality of the melody

[Chopianist3]

omg this sounds a hell of alot better on piano

[OriginalMoonbeam]

I was thinking about Zino's playing--somehow it seems to reflect that it is coming from a happy soul--a person who is for the most part a genuinely kind and happy person is producing this music is the sense that I get from it..

[xlibrl]

No, I do not have the Francescatti Beethoven LP any longer. The CD is available, I think.

If you ever see an orchestra in stunned amazment playing a warhorse once again, it is extraordinary indeed. Zino was the only one left to do that by 1964. I heard Menuhin's Beethoven at that time also, but he lost his great sound very young due to palsy. His 1930's recordings show a different violinist.

Milstein had a tiny sound, unfortunately; Francescatti by far the largest.

[vallid78]

da brivido, un violinista con tecnica e cuore, grande

[francescaemc2]

You are very fortunate indeed! Where did you hear him?

If you have the Beethoven concerto would you share it with us?

Thanks.

[francescaemc2]

My mother told me about Francescatti. I never heard him until now. I cannot thank you enough for posting this. I can only hope that if there is a God, Chopin can hear this.Actually, you just proved there is a God. I'm forwarding this to Richard Dawkins.

[xlibrl]

I heard Francescatti, Oistrakh, Stern, Milstein, Menuhin, Stern, and Heifetz. No one lit up a room like Zino. That is not my opinion; I was there twice to witness it. Jaws hung open as we heard something fantastic, and wondered where it came from and how he did it. Anyone who finds the 1961 Beethoven Concerto LP, not CD re-issue, will hear him as he actually was.

[cdavisfour]

I think the only one of those that stands up to this is Menuhin, I think this sounds better than Menuhin though. Don't get me wrong Menuhin's been amazing, but he also happens to have had the advantage of being very physically attractive. By which I mean, he had a Visual as well as audiatory presence.

[yengzzz]

how nice.

i really like Chopin's nocturnes.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

I love his vibrato..and there are certain pieces that I feel he can't be touched on, even though Milstein is my favorite...it just has flair!

[54spiritedwill54]

This is one of my favorite Chopin nocturnes.

[alceste66]

questo suono mette serenità

[cageynerd]

Yeah, one my first cd's of beethoven violin sonatas were his with Robert Casadesus and I've got to be honest... to this day, I've never heard better -- and I have a violin teacher's/musician's ear.

[leomulder]

Second time Francescatti seriously causes me emotion. He's special - a very charming "volume", curious to compare.

[abburidotakaria]

Why isn't Francescatti one of your favorite violinists?

[aimson]

Well since Heifetz is my favorite and Milstein/Enesco/Elman are my other favorites, there just isn't room for Francescatti. I put him in with the other "tier 2" violinists such as Menuhin, Rabin, Oistrakh, Neveu, Gulli, and Kreisler. It's all subjective and based on my opinion. Don't worry, I still love listening to him, just saying he's not tier 1 in my book.

[BigCheezyOne]

I agree with you about his beautiful tone and sweet sound. His tone production is what I try to emulate about his playing most.

[hvassilev]

What is your opinion about Vasco Abadjiev. It is possible to listen here a lot pieces played by him. I put your phenomenal play in Tier 1 and may by more in cases of Paganini and Bach.Please send me an answer!!

[Bruce88keys]

@aimson OY VEY MARIA!!!!!!

[operalament]

@abburidotakaria Wow, Ive never heard of anyone speak of Menuhin and Rabin and Oistrakh as second tier violinists., And you dont even mention Stern. Where do think he ranks.

[oldladybluejeans]

I first heard Francescatti in 1970. I bought his LP without having heard of him. He played Brahm's violin concerto with New York Philharmonic. His solo is so beautiful. I never heard anyone play that piece better than him. Such feeling. I lost my record (LP) and have never been able to find another here in Holland, until now. Maybe someone has that Brahms solo of his and is willing to upload?

[bahotheviolon]

it is just beatifull how he plays it.the doublestops are very clean.very nice...a great violinist.i discovered francescatti very late,but,i think that was a good thing that i did it.

[thedokterate]

govibe, the slides he uses are german slides, heifetz favored the russian slides, where there is no drag, but a swift slide to the note. Elman used both, but mostly german, listen to his mendelssohn. Kreisler used lots of german sliding. Slides are expressive, and it adds poetry and emotion to the piece. Think of opera singers, they always "slide". They don't separate their notes, some of them are connected more than others.

[abburidotakaria]

The slides Heifetz used are French slides used by Ysaye

[cronai]

Aimson, I owe you a HUGE lot! What a marvellous collection you put together. I just can't get away from the computer. Zino Francescatti was one of my favorites when I was studying the violin, back in the 60s.

[aimson]

That is great, I'm glad you are enjoying yourself! I have gotten several private messages saying the exact same thing, particularly about Francescatti. His sound and tone are incredibly beautiful and similar to Kreisler and Heifetz in both sweetness and expression. Make sure you download my entire (incomplete) collection from megaupload. The link(s) are on my channel profile.

[Rephrat]

and that's the guy who wanted to be a gardner....one of the greatest violin virtuosos of all times !!!!

[waistoi]

Zino Francescatti is great! (He is the pupil of the pupil of Paganini -- think about that!)

[gawgul]

I hear unmistakable Zino in that seashell, mystic, timeless, soothing...

[govibe]

I hate how this guy drags his fingers when hes shifting down from one finger to another... You are not supposed to make those shifts EXTREMELY audible

[aimson]

Guess you haven't learned about glissando's yet, what a shame. The older violinist used it very liberally to make the music sound more romantic. Nowadays, it is seen as "old-fashioned" and "unclean" by most violinists, which explains your attitude. If you hate it, don't listen to it (or any other older violinists like Heifetz or Elman).

[govibe]

its not even the type of "glissando" that heifetz and elman uses... Francescatti's glissandos are just like an older menuhin's! If he is shifting to a higher or lower that will end on different fingers, he always drags the finger he is currently on, not the one he will end up with

[casiokbman1]

a superb violinists, not afraid to play with emotion, great tone.

[pian000]

i mean jus the melody

[pian000]

can u play nocturne in e flat on violin or too hard?

[sherom]

Thanks again Aimson!

[OistrakhMilstein]

a terribly underrated violinist....

[msiu]

I'm surprised that his interpretation of the piece is quite similar to Elman's (on a Pearl recording) other than the slightly different arrangement.

[aimson]

Yeah, I also have that Elman recording. In fact, they played very similar pieces, including Shubert, Bach, Chopin, and a few others. I may post more in the future so that people can listen to both interpretations and enjoy excellent musicianship side by side in harmony.

[wol4fram]

This is one of my favorite Chopin nocturnes. It is fascinating to hear it on the violin, with francescatti's sweet sound. Thank you so much for posting this.

[aimson]

I will post some more later. I also have both Elman and Milstein playing 2 or 3 different nocturnes that I simply love as well.