I really love it - this music by Bach. I know it from my youngest chilhood. Father brought it to me by a record. But first of all I am admiring Nathan Milstein and his interpretation.It is marvellous and I am able to hear it whenever I want in my brain. Thank you Nathan Milstein
@kourosh89 OK, I reduced the time of the annotation to 45 seconds. The yellow text is important because it is a link to the "frustration-free" version.
@bismarckclass all of the instruments have their advantages and disadvantages don't they...I play the piano version too (Brahms) but it's impossible to get the same flowing melody lines that you can with the violin
i envy violinists ..the ability to sing notes. an electric guitarist can produce a lot of interesting effects, but nothing like how the violin can transform even relatively simple lines into something pure. its a function of it being a perfect bowed instrument ..speaking of which, nathan was a del gesu man, was he not? what a character that guarneri fellow was! a seeming mockery of workmanship and industry becomes the equal of stradivari. amazing.
@mymotorcycle5 same here, despite i play the piano version, but my ears and my brain cannot be fooled, that Violin are the best instrument for this piece, the piercing and intense sounds, just enough to hold my breath,
@EmanueleBasso92 I was one of them. The way he played that e string was very jarring compared to other versions I've heard by oistrakh, maxime, hahn, heifetz, etc...
I really like Milstein; he was a real master of the violin. However, he is pretty heavy-handed here. His intonation suffers from this too. It may be that he was trying to keep pace with the 'rock and roll' era and considering his audience this may have been a wise approach. But the recording sets him in the stone of time and that is a problem. He plays in FF too much and that seriously affects the dynamics of this work; restricting him greatly.
@daniel0731ex Even negative mentioning of "stars" gives them promotion. It is better to ignore them completely. And this is a place for classical music and classical musicians.
There are no words to express these emotions. Bach was a super genius. Milstein was one of the finest violinists of the 20th century. Russian violin and piano school was and is one of the greatest in the world. An Italian quality instrument helps a lot, but you must know how to use it. All in all, they don't make them like that anymore. No new Bachs, no Milsteins nor Italian quality string instruments. Can you compare Bach/Milstein's art with your super cell phone, certainly made in China?
Beautiful playing! Mr. Milstein never ceases to amaze! You guys should also listen to the Bach Chaconne played on classical guitar! It's spectacular! o.O
Milstein is and has been my favorite violinist of all I've heard in my time, due to his wonderful tone and subtlety.. This is a wonderful rendition of the Chaconne, although it is not Milstein's best work. I'd prefer full double stops in the beginning. FWIW, I do prefer Szeryng's as recorded on Odessey. I'll echo a response given to my late father in law: "There would be presumption in usual evaluation about an extraordinary human being, whose excellences include superior [musianship]."
Nathan Milstein: a true artist and an inspiration. I would give anything to have been alive when he was at his best. I can't imagine seeing him live. It was funny the other day we had to say who in history we would like to have an hour to talk to, and i said Nathan Milstein. My teacher was like, who? I just laughed inside.
hate it when music performance broadcasts pan out to show the audience listening - I want to see the performer, not the people sitting there watching!
You can never separate technique from performance. And to say that a particular technique is 'easy' or 'hard' is not the point.The goal of performing is the communication of the meaning of the piece to the audience. It is extremely difficult, though not impossible, to do this on violin without proper technique. Combining the two elements into a compelling experience is the goal of a good violinist. Because of this you can never really 'master' most pieces.
technically speaking, the chaconne is not difficult. Paganini/Ysaye etc is more of a killer. With Bach it is the control of the right hand(like all the time anyway) - Bach is more intellectual, not emotional like Sarasate.
@chngkooiseng Actually, Paganini's more of an etude type, but this piece requires integration of left and right. The dissonance chords that have to resonate with the regular chords greatly challenge the tonality. There is a good reason why this piece is called the most difficult piece for violinists.
Why is everyone here obsessed with what the audience thinks, and how the audience reacts?
Try caring about what you are thinking, what you yourself are doing; not what other people are doing, what other people are thinking: "do not judge lest you yourself be judged".
Why is everyone here obsessed with what the audience thinks, and how the audience reacts?
Try caring about what you are thinking, what you yourself are doing; not what other people are doing, what other people are thinking: "do not judge lest you yourself be judged".
He excels in his ability to separate each of the melody's voices, and he manages to make Bach sound full even in a subdued acoustic (relative to the usual church setting).
true respect for music's most learned, yet utterly humble, mind: this is the most architecturally complex conceptual edifice...ever... played with exhilarating, intuitively transcendent reverence (to the greater glory of...)
OMG major major goosebumps. no-one comes close to milstein in this bach chaconne. technique is one thing but damn how can i encapsulate in mere words what he brings to fruition in rendering this magnificent music to life. power feeling emotion passion anger sadness..............
A masterpiece. It is sad my generation listens to the Biebers of the world when there is this magic just a click away. May Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Holst, Elgar, Barber, and countless others never be forgotten!
@splincerhunterX it's a bitch of a piece to play, at least for someone my level (10 years). Intonation and the ability to play chords accurately is important in getting the basics of this piece done.
truly one of the greatest performers of Bach ever..as a fiddler I tried unsucessfully to play this Chaconne..technically it is very difficult, but even if one masters the notes, to allow each voice to sound is the mark of genius, and Milstein was genius; the exquisite taste, the minimal vibrato, the absolute perfection of intonation,all there, and imbued with the mystery and emotion this greatest of Bach's works for violin contains.
what a beast he was....such enthralling passions and horror from his little wooden noise-maker! this man knew why bach wrote this piece...he tempers his anger with sorrow. a true artist!
I agree with you that Milstein's playing is sublime here.The odd one or two in the audience seem entranced,but,as you say,it seems wasted on many of them. What i wouldn't give to have been there...
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Oh, I must say that I like Jascha Heifetz playing this piece more than I like Milstein, but I haven't heard much of Milstein's playing. He seems to have a different interpretation of style from both Heifetz and Arthur Grumbaux...I haven't heard more than those three of of this Chaconne, but...regardless, thanks for the upload. One of my favorite pieces of the time period.
Bach and Beethoven didn't have a relationship of any kind.... and If you mean the player, both Beethoven and Bach were long dead before the invention of video camera.
"On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind."
@sedawin Brahms was fortunate in that he was able to hear his great friend Joachim play these.Joachim stumbled across autograph scores of the Sonatas and Partitas and did much to popularize them.Some will tell you that,until this, they had layed unplayed for about 100 years-i think that this is an overstatement.
Mr Milstein is outstanding here! There are so may interpretations of this but this one ranks with one of the best - and a real pleasure to play by yourself - when you can play the string crossings in the middle perfectly and the violin resonates then it sounds like you're playing the organ and you feel like a god ;)
I don't know how to play violin and I was recently given one by my uncle for Christmas. I found a video on a program and wasn't sure if it was worth the money of not? Claims that you can Learn to play violin in 30 days, Master the Violin, quickly and Now. Look forward to some feedback.w w w (dot) getgoodreviews (dot) com/go/violin_lessons (dot) php
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The chording required by this piece translates much better to guitar than violin. It's only during the single note runs where the violin shine, otherwise the sound is a little grating. Check out Christopher Parkening's version. It's amazing.
It's a "Partita for solo violin". I like the transcriptions for guitar and piano - but I think it's only a violin is capable to perform all seasons of this movement.
I agrre with u tidou4, all "small insects" like "tmstratman" just dont understand how this interpretations of Chaconne by N.Milstein is incomparable with trully full emotions and beautiful!
That's not a good assessment considering that Bach was an organist violist and violinist. Maybe you're voicing just feels better upside down. How many great musicians have done this with your upstrokes as down-strokes? think about it
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
I never thought Violinists would be so temperamental and closed minded. Regardless of the fact that this was written for Violin, it sounds INFINITELY better on classical guitar. I'm not implying everything sounds better on guitar, just this particular piece. The chording just doesn't lend itself well to the violin's timbre. It sounds like a chorus of cackling chickens!
I don't think that this is the best video to say that in. It's a VIOLIN video. To say anything sounds better on the guitar as apposed to the violin in a comment will probably offend people. Personally, I think it sounds better on the violin, since I have the bias of being a violinist. However, if you play it wrong, it does sound very strained. If you play it like the way Milstein plays it, I think it sounds better on the violin's timbre than the guitar's. Just my opinion.
Bach's music has the tendancy to be transcripted into any instrument of any genre, but its sound will always be magnificant be it guitar, or brass quartet.
i dont know what type of blunt you are smoking but your fucking insane..
@tmstratman hahaha! looks like you incited a lot of down marks... well, you may have a point (that is your personal opinion) but you really shouldn't say something like that in a page that is frequented mostly by violinists only... besides, this piece, the Chaconne, is the most revered,most divine, most respected composition to a violinist... you'd hurt people if you say something like that... haha
Is this considered to be the hardest piece written for the violin? To be honest it doesn't really sound that difficult to me. How technically difficult would be on a scale 1 - 10?
I wish you were right about all music being easy to play. I love music, but unfortunately I have a level of hand/brain coordination which makes even the Johannes hymn a major challenge.
Technically difficult? Pretty high. I'd say 8 or 9 at least. But that's not really the point. Once you truly know how to play violin, technique is not really too much of an obstacle. The true beast is trying to pull the emotion from the notes. Mastering this is the truly difficult part of music. Anyone can play music, but what musicians truly aspire to do is experience music and share that experience with others.
I agree with your comments about technique.However this is way beyond grade 8. Many years ago,I did the 8 Royal Academy grades and performance diploma (LRAM).The Bach A minor concerto,a grade 8 piece is much easier than this.Not until Diploma level(much more than one step up from grade 8) did I encounter anything this technically difficult. Milstein rated the Ernst Polyphonic etudes as the most technically challenging pieces that he played.And he admitted that he didn't play all of them!
@gaedry Actually, technicality and virtuosity is a great obstacle- even with our concert violinists. Not all famous soloists are able to play with the same technical abilities- that's why Paganini and Heifetz are known for their outstanding technical ability. Emotion and musicality is essential and very difficult to pull off too, but you can't ignore technicality.
@gaedry The difficulty in this piece is expression, feelings and the smooth transition from a chord to another. Probably more expressionally than technically.
@grufster1975 playing on a monophonic instrument the hardest thing among all the others is when you have to play polyphonic music...
and especially on a violin where you are considering of not scratching, touching two strings in the same time with specific pressure on each of them and after all having to interpret BACH believe me....difficulty comes to 10
the hardest thing you are able to do on a violin.
and the fact you cannot realise it shows how great player milstein was
@grufster1975:"Is this considered to be the hardest piece written for the violin?"
"The hardest?" If there is such a thing (would be very individual anyway) - but playing it well takes a real master. I know several good violinists, who plays lots of other stuff tears-in-you-eyes well (ready for recordings) - but some pieces are full of places where the player is just not up to it. . This is one of those that falls most apart - making quite good violinists sound sound way below their level.
This is one of the first recordings Ive heard where every, single, note isnt pounded out with some distasteful fury. At the beginning I thought that was what this would be but it soon worked itself out. However, does anyone find that the quarter note chords don't need to be pounded out? I think they could be much more sung out, as if someone were crying. This is what he wrote upon finding out his wife had died after all.
well, weepy isn't really baroque, which Bach was, this piece wasn't meant to be expressed through changes in dynamics, but the grand whole chords and its equally dramatic arpeggiated counterparts. If this were sung out, it would diminish the angst which in my opinion Bach clearly intended, because the performer can't just throw sfz in wherever he wants, because again, this is Bach, the baroque guy.
i understand you ThecitizenofTheworld, i've been looking for "the" perfect rendition with a gloomy feel, but that just doesn't exist. the more i listen to it, i realize, forcing the song to drag along doesn't bring out the melancholy and despair he supposedly felt over his wife's death when writing this. being a baroque composer, that probably wasn't the way he wanted to express it. i think the darker color of the notes is where his melancholy lives in this song.
Fellow UTubers: Can u recommend other violinists on the level of Heifetz, Milstein, Issac Stern or Yitzchak Perlman? Trying to broaden my tastes - easy to get locked into favs.
Hi,Sandor Vegh is certainly worth listening to.His interpretations are very powerful,and emotional without resort to sentiment.They also contain(on vinyl at least and through a revealing system)more of the 'noise' of the violin-fingers hitting the fingerboard etc-than I have heard on any other recordings.I will post these for you soon-There don't seem to be any on you tube presently.
The Chaconne as interpreted by Milstein, is an utterly human execution of a sustained emotion, a moment of infinite grief, a baring of the soul as has not been seen since Meister Bach offered his pain up to his God, in whom he placed absolute faith, knowing that only He possesses the power to transform despair into transcendent bliss. In Milstein's interpretation one hears the voice of God, not as it should be, but rather as it is, ineffably beautiful and pure. The heart comprehends implicitly.
totally meaningless talk. what if i just took the name "Milstein" and replaced it with "Heifetz" or "Szeryng" or any other violinist, or in fact, any other musician? would it still be the voice of "God"?
I disagree with Sijas. I am not 40 but 17 and I love classical music- visit lots of concerts, always am astonished about the way in how other musicians play their instruments..
I'm starting to delve into the world of classical composition myself. If you're interested in a MP3 of my first composition, give me your e-mail in a personal message.
I'm 19 now, but I've listened to bach since I was about 14, 15. I was also exposed to the other famous composers like beethoven and mozart since I was in elementary school. So, make of it what you will.
this is for me the reference interpretation...of course ...a little vbit unusually....but with so much felling in music, not in the player...nathan was one of the greatest masters
Milstein, Perelman, Kremer, Szeryng,Menuhin, Stern... the number of jews in classical and particularly Bach violin concerti is pretty overwhelming, how come?
it's not a matter of religion, it' s the cultural background and the educational formation that build the musician personality and determine its artistic expression, doubtless religion and ethnic cultural play a huge role in this way and that's what I want to understand, it has nothing to do with racism or anything of the sort it's kinda anthropology interest
Dear, let's listen to bach music which is fundamentally fulfilling the purpose of glorifying god and jesus through the many cantatas and fugues, here is a blatant proof that you cannot put religion out of music neither painting nor architecture nor philosophy and so on, western civilisation owes too much to christendom, don't let your traumatizing experience with religion prevent you from seeing those facts, kindly
Richard Strauss was an atheist, as are many of today's great musicians.
There are MANY examples of atheist and pagan philosophers. The Greek philosophers existed before Christianity. The US Founding Fathers were Deist or Agnostic. Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and John Rawls were atheist; John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Jean J. Rousseau were agnostic or deist.
Had Christianity not spread its word so violently, Bach could've created music such as "The Nebula's Concerto" or "Jupiter's Fugue".
Herr Kant was definitely NOT an atheist and actually put forth many philosophical reasons for the belief in God in his "Critique of Practical Reason." Christian?---debatable. Atheist---certainly not. Also, Bach was quoted as saying "Music's only purpose should be the glory of God and the recreation of the human spirit," so your premise that Bach's music was not directly influenced by Christianity has been refuted by the man himself. Just sayin'...
I concur wholeheartedly; besides, what matters most is that the voice of God moves through the instrument, and said instrument has no choice but to sing forth His glory, irrespective of delusions of personal manifest destiny or simple volition to the contrary. Atheism, agnosticism, etc., fall by the wayside as we consider His power to move the elements and shape destiny to His purpose, against human will, against human desire. The ecstacy is total.
well, it is humans who create and play music, some do better some do worse... or maybe you would say that in the instrument of those who play not as good moves something else?
My teacher was the concertmaster of the Halle orchestra in Manchester and he said that whenever they played with a violin soloist he would say to himself,'if i did some practice I could play like that'. But not Milstein. He thought he was from another planet.
I really love it - this music by Bach. I know it from my youngest chilhood. Father brought it to me by a record. But first of all I am admiring Nathan Milstein and his interpretation.It is marvellous and I am able to hear it whenever I want in my brain. Thank you Nathan Milstein
Crysalla 2 weeks ago
That was lovely. : ) -Vanessa
MissJesusfan 3 weeks ago
Can you make the yellow text disappear after the first 10 seconds or so?
kourosh89 1 month ago
@kourosh89 OK, I reduced the time of the annotation to 45 seconds. The yellow text is important because it is a link to the "frustration-free" version.
salvianojr 1 month ago
@kourosh89 hey :) Do you see this red "thing" next to 360p? Just click it, and the yellow text will disappear :) I'm sorry for my english :D
SailorKosmos 1 month ago
I think there is nothing to say but listen.......even if it's not complete.
Some people gave us the best and we have to take it.....
stratman1110 2 months ago
wow.. what a swet sound..
SomeAnimeOtaku 3 months ago
@bismarckclass all of the instruments have their advantages and disadvantages don't they...I play the piano version too (Brahms) but it's impossible to get the same flowing melody lines that you can with the violin
F1R1NMAHLAZAH 6 months ago
Staggering...
Cedericoco 6 months ago
Masterful!
TheAbyssofChaos 7 months ago
O_O BEST.
bvolsky 7 months ago
This is music !
Tazeruk 8 months ago 5
What a pity that this is incomplete.
CellFate 8 months ago
@CellFate, this was because of the previous time limits.I've just uploaded the complete video. Please, look at the video description
salvianojr 8 months ago
i envy violinists ..the ability to sing notes. an electric guitarist can produce a lot of interesting effects, but nothing like how the violin can transform even relatively simple lines into something pure. its a function of it being a perfect bowed instrument ..speaking of which, nathan was a del gesu man, was he not? what a character that guarneri fellow was! a seeming mockery of workmanship and industry becomes the equal of stradivari. amazing.
mymotorcycle5 10 months ago 4
@mymotorcycle5 same here, despite i play the piano version, but my ears and my brain cannot be fooled, that Violin are the best instrument for this piece, the piercing and intense sounds, just enough to hold my breath,
if only piano can be made that way ;(
yep, he's a del Gesu;)
bismarckclass 8 months ago
Beautiful :) it's easy learn to love classic music :)
Papagaio1994 10 months ago
@EmanueleBasso92 I was one of them. The way he played that e string was very jarring compared to other versions I've heard by oistrakh, maxime, hahn, heifetz, etc...
brainwasher9876 11 months ago
I really like Milstein; he was a real master of the violin. However, he is pretty heavy-handed here. His intonation suffers from this too. It may be that he was trying to keep pace with the 'rock and roll' era and considering his audience this may have been a wise approach. But the recording sets him in the stone of time and that is a problem. He plays in FF too much and that seriously affects the dynamics of this work; restricting him greatly.
semisavage 11 months ago
Justin Bieber voted dislike 19 times.
daniel0731ex 11 months ago 3
@daniel0731ex Even negative mentioning of "stars" gives them promotion. It is better to ignore them completely. And this is a place for classical music and classical musicians.
dgaranin 11 months ago
@daniel0731ex ha...ha...ha... --___--
milstein91 2 months ago
The hard part of playing this piece is expressing each note beautifully...
juvennino 1 year ago
i really do believe Milstein's interpretation is the standard
pashatseitlin 1 year ago 4
There are no words to express these emotions. Bach was a super genius. Milstein was one of the finest violinists of the 20th century. Russian violin and piano school was and is one of the greatest in the world. An Italian quality instrument helps a lot, but you must know how to use it. All in all, they don't make them like that anymore. No new Bachs, no Milsteins nor Italian quality string instruments. Can you compare Bach/Milstein's art with your super cell phone, certainly made in China?
deWolkonski 1 year ago 2
Beautiful playing! Mr. Milstein never ceases to amaze! You guys should also listen to the Bach Chaconne played on classical guitar! It's spectacular! o.O
alienwareufo 1 year ago
niece song ;-)
DeepVoidDenizen 1 year ago
Milstein is and has been my favorite violinist of all I've heard in my time, due to his wonderful tone and subtlety.. This is a wonderful rendition of the Chaconne, although it is not Milstein's best work. I'd prefer full double stops in the beginning. FWIW, I do prefer Szeryng's as recorded on Odessey. I'll echo a response given to my late father in law: "There would be presumption in usual evaluation about an extraordinary human being, whose excellences include superior [musianship]."
SK
SLKA440 1 year ago
@SLKA440 Um, lol just because he did triple chords instead of doube doesnt mean it was not at his best. I like how he did the beginning.
ericgable 1 year ago
Nathan Milstein: a true artist and an inspiration. I would give anything to have been alive when he was at his best. I can't imagine seeing him live. It was funny the other day we had to say who in history we would like to have an hour to talk to, and i said Nathan Milstein. My teacher was like, who? I just laughed inside.
mrgolftennisviolin 1 year ago
@mrgolftennisviolin
Do you mean your violin teacher?
DenianArcoleo 1 year ago
@mrgolftennisviolin get a new teacher!
skyboyq 1 year ago
stunningly beautiful; one of the most cherished achievements of mankind. I have no doubt that this is everlasting.
phoenixdef 1 year ago 2
Great video man!!!
randypetrucci 1 year ago
Most masterful violinist!
hate it when music performance broadcasts pan out to show the audience listening - I want to see the performer, not the people sitting there watching!
barcalonga 1 year ago
he used a lot of harmonics! Never thought i'd use the fingering like that
J174T 1 year ago
not gonna lie, the way milstein plays on that e string makes me wince sometimes. Still not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing.
brainwasher9876 1 year ago
@brainwasher9876 was also noticing that, not my cup of tea
vernymax 1 year ago
what a sound!!!
etolhs 1 year ago 2
what a sound
etolhs 1 year ago
You can never separate technique from performance. And to say that a particular technique is 'easy' or 'hard' is not the point.The goal of performing is the communication of the meaning of the piece to the audience. It is extremely difficult, though not impossible, to do this on violin without proper technique. Combining the two elements into a compelling experience is the goal of a good violinist. Because of this you can never really 'master' most pieces.
trevorpinnocky 1 year ago
technically speaking, the chaconne is not difficult. Paganini/Ysaye etc is more of a killer. With Bach it is the control of the right hand(like all the time anyway) - Bach is more intellectual, not emotional like Sarasate.
chngkooiseng 1 year ago
@chngkooiseng Actually, Paganini's more of an etude type, but this piece requires integration of left and right. The dissonance chords that have to resonate with the regular chords greatly challenge the tonality. There is a good reason why this piece is called the most difficult piece for violinists.
GabrielleduVent 9 months ago
Ahh my dream piece.....
if i can even achieve this on violin when i die, ill be the happiest man alive...
after this i can quit lol
my favorite piece on violin...
mapleric 1 year ago
cossa piú bella é maestosa
leonardo94ism 1 year ago
sublime music from Bach, as always. But Passacaglia in C minor is better
Sawyed 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Why is everyone here obsessed with what the audience thinks, and how the audience reacts?
Try caring about what you are thinking, what you yourself are doing; not what other people are doing, what other people are thinking: "do not judge lest you yourself be judged".
hibernatinghedgehog 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Why is everyone here obsessed with what the audience thinks, and how the audience reacts?
Try caring about what you are thinking, what you yourself are doing; not what other people are doing, what other people are thinking: "do not judge lest you yourself be judged".
hibernatinghedgehog 1 year ago
He excels in his ability to separate each of the melody's voices, and he manages to make Bach sound full even in a subdued acoustic (relative to the usual church setting).
nharren1 1 year ago
true respect for music's most learned, yet utterly humble, mind: this is the most architecturally complex conceptual edifice...ever... played with exhilarating, intuitively transcendent reverence (to the greater glory of...)
conwayanderson9 1 year ago 2
OMG major major goosebumps. no-one comes close to milstein in this bach chaconne. technique is one thing but damn how can i encapsulate in mere words what he brings to fruition in rendering this magnificent music to life. power feeling emotion passion anger sadness..............
themusicdr 1 year ago
he takes much liberty the tempo
yynirvana 1 year ago
A masterpiece. It is sad my generation listens to the Biebers of the world when there is this magic just a click away. May Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Holst, Elgar, Barber, and countless others never be forgotten!
Polititic 1 year ago 8
I wander who were those 15 people who voted for not liking this performance. I am truly puzzled!!!!
Zengy1 1 year ago
One of the highest achievements of human mind.
testplayer 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
heineyken06 1 year ago
Whats great about this performance is that it gets better and better every time you watch it.
heineyken06 1 year ago
Music inspired for the Soul. Deep cry that turn you into something cant hold you in. Make you think on agony and life at same time. Absolutly awsome!
purointelecto 1 year ago
This looks like a really difficult solo to play well.
splincerhunterX 1 year ago
@splincerhunterX it's a bitch of a piece to play, at least for someone my level (10 years). Intonation and the ability to play chords accurately is important in getting the basics of this piece done.
brainwasher9876 11 months ago
For me, i love this.
This is what freshman at our highschool play.
TaniaxTragic 1 year ago
How lucky & privileged we are to not only hear such wonderful music making but also to be able to see him as well, fantastic.
nog55 1 year ago
i love the chaconne. i cannot say that heifetz's version is better because both renditions of the chaconne are fantastic!!!
VanessaMaeFan18 1 year ago
Milstein believed this was the greatest piece of violin music ever written. He always gave a supreme performance of it, and he does so here.
leitfie3579 1 year ago
truly one of the greatest performers of Bach ever..as a fiddler I tried unsucessfully to play this Chaconne..technically it is very difficult, but even if one masters the notes, to allow each voice to sound is the mark of genius, and Milstein was genius; the exquisite taste, the minimal vibrato, the absolute perfection of intonation,all there, and imbued with the mystery and emotion this greatest of Bach's works for violin contains.
TheMmesser 1 year ago 4
what a beast he was....such enthralling passions and horror from his little wooden noise-maker! this man knew why bach wrote this piece...he tempers his anger with sorrow. a true artist!
poseuresque 1 year ago
Milstein puts so much extra color in such an amazing piece of unforgettable music.
He plays with no fear, exactly how I like it. :)
Superb recording.
Now I'm gonna listen to it millions of more times. lol
cfeAncient 1 year ago 4
Comparing the great violin legends' Chaconnes is like comparing apples and oranges. They're all my favorite.
However, comparing modern violinists' Chaconnes is really easy to do unfortunately... most of them don't even compare to the greats.
Neo21803 1 year ago 3
Oops! I`m sor for my bad English - it should be a silver plate. Platter means something else.
SchizoF20 1 year ago
Silver platter works too :)
I totally agree with you.
Neo21803 1 year ago
Besides the phenomenal playing of Milstein, the cold reaction of the audience made me almost to cry.
The audience apparently did not understand the fact that one of the greatest violinists gave his heart at a sliver platter.
I will honour your memory. For me you are the greatest.
SchizoF20 1 year ago 2
SchizoF20.. Thank you.. for honour his memory we are both! N.Milstein for me also the greatest Bach's interpreter ever! ! take off hat! Maestro play!
my666vs777 1 year ago
I agree with you that Milstein's playing is sublime here.The odd one or two in the audience seem entranced,but,as you say,it seems wasted on many of them. What i wouldn't give to have been there...
shiveringflower 1 year ago
This is so phenomal
khanaks1008 1 year ago
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Oh, I must say that I like Jascha Heifetz playing this piece more than I like Milstein, but I haven't heard much of Milstein's playing. He seems to have a different interpretation of style from both Heifetz and Arthur Grumbaux...I haven't heard more than those three of of this Chaconne, but...regardless, thanks for the upload. One of my favorite pieces of the time period.
granulomatosis2 1 year ago
beautiful
matjalowey 1 year ago 2
so is this beethoven's brother or what?
HarleyStcool 1 year ago
Bach and Beethoven didn't have a relationship of any kind.... and If you mean the player, both Beethoven and Bach were long dead before the invention of video camera.
KiddBlack 1 year ago
"On one stave, for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind."
Johannes Brahms
sedawin 1 year ago 2
@sedawin Brahms was fortunate in that he was able to hear his great friend Joachim play these.Joachim stumbled across autograph scores of the Sonatas and Partitas and did much to popularize them.Some will tell you that,until this, they had layed unplayed for about 100 years-i think that this is an overstatement.
shiveringflower 1 year ago
beautiful transitions
smviolon 2 years ago 2
i love his transitions
CornDoctor 2 years ago
Mr Milstein is outstanding here! There are so may interpretations of this but this one ranks with one of the best - and a real pleasure to play by yourself - when you can play the string crossings in the middle perfectly and the violin resonates then it sounds like you're playing the organ and you feel like a god ;)
DagOnFire07 2 years ago 10
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abbott080 2 years ago
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The chording required by this piece translates much better to guitar than violin. It's only during the single note runs where the violin shine, otherwise the sound is a little grating. Check out Christopher Parkening's version. It's amazing.
tmstratman 2 years ago
It's a "Partita for solo violin". I like the transcriptions for guitar and piano - but I think it's only a violin is capable to perform all seasons of this movement.
salvianojr 2 years ago 44
I heard it played very well on Cello a long time ago.
D0g63rt 2 years ago
I have and like every guitar version it's gutless.
shiveringflower 2 years ago
@tmstratman : If you have no Idea about something (like music) just put a cork in it...
tidou4 2 years ago
I agrre with u tidou4, all "small insects" like "tmstratman" just dont understand how this interpretations of Chaconne by N.Milstein is incomparable with trully full emotions and beautiful!
my666vs777 2 years ago
That's not a good assessment considering that Bach was an organist violist and violinist. Maybe you're voicing just feels better upside down. How many great musicians have done this with your upstrokes as down-strokes? think about it
jcucura 2 years ago
What the F is wrong with you
jcucura 2 years ago
I'll take your comment in stride and check out Parkening's
jcucura 2 years ago
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I never thought Violinists would be so temperamental and closed minded. Regardless of the fact that this was written for Violin, it sounds INFINITELY better on classical guitar. I'm not implying everything sounds better on guitar, just this particular piece. The chording just doesn't lend itself well to the violin's timbre. It sounds like a chorus of cackling chickens!
tmstratman 2 years ago
I don't think that this is the best video to say that in. It's a VIOLIN video. To say anything sounds better on the guitar as apposed to the violin in a comment will probably offend people. Personally, I think it sounds better on the violin, since I have the bias of being a violinist. However, if you play it wrong, it does sound very strained. If you play it like the way Milstein plays it, I think it sounds better on the violin's timbre than the guitar's. Just my opinion.
empoleon9999 2 years ago 2
ohh you are such an idiot
ancysest 2 years ago
Bach's music has the tendancy to be transcripted into any instrument of any genre, but its sound will always be magnificant be it guitar, or brass quartet.
i dont know what type of blunt you are smoking but your fucking insane..
Korsair777 2 years ago
Yes, of course your a guitarist and not a violinist...
sedawin 1 year ago
@tmstratman Its originally for the VIOLIN and should be on the violin.
ericgable 1 year ago
@tmstratman hahaha! looks like you incited a lot of down marks... well, you may have a point (that is your personal opinion) but you really shouldn't say something like that in a page that is frequented mostly by violinists only... besides, this piece, the Chaconne, is the most revered,most divine, most respected composition to a violinist... you'd hurt people if you say something like that... haha
TempoFurioso 10 months ago
very nice, thanks f up.
eurovi1 2 years ago
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Is this considered to be the hardest piece written for the violin? To be honest it doesn't really sound that difficult to me. How technically difficult would be on a scale 1 - 10?
grufster1975 2 years ago
@grufster1975 Check out the part when the piece transposes into a major key. The chording almost sounds like two violins are playing.
All music is easy to play; the Ciaconne is especially difficult to master.
teenEDITOR 2 years ago 3
I wish you were right about all music being easy to play. I love music, but unfortunately I have a level of hand/brain coordination which makes even the Johannes hymn a major challenge.
voxhunden 2 years ago
Technically difficult? Pretty high. I'd say 8 or 9 at least. But that's not really the point. Once you truly know how to play violin, technique is not really too much of an obstacle. The true beast is trying to pull the emotion from the notes. Mastering this is the truly difficult part of music. Anyone can play music, but what musicians truly aspire to do is experience music and share that experience with others.
gaedry 2 years ago 77
I agree with your comments about technique.However this is way beyond grade 8. Many years ago,I did the 8 Royal Academy grades and performance diploma (LRAM).The Bach A minor concerto,a grade 8 piece is much easier than this.Not until Diploma level(much more than one step up from grade 8) did I encounter anything this technically difficult. Milstein rated the Ernst Polyphonic etudes as the most technically challenging pieces that he played.And he admitted that he didn't play all of them!
shiveringflower 2 years ago
@gaedry Actually, technicality and virtuosity is a great obstacle- even with our concert violinists. Not all famous soloists are able to play with the same technical abilities- that's why Paganini and Heifetz are known for their outstanding technical ability. Emotion and musicality is essential and very difficult to pull off too, but you can't ignore technicality.
craisslayer 1 year ago
@gaedry yes, an evocative but dodgy performance of the chaconne is millions better than a flawless but dry performance
jazzpsalti 1 year ago
@gaedry The difficulty in this piece is expression, feelings and the smooth transition from a chord to another. Probably more expressionally than technically.
bountyhanz 1 year ago
@gaedry best comment I read so far on youtube.
arschgrauviolett 1 year ago
@gaedry A friend once said that to me; the day before my recital.
ByronPhillipWilliams 11 months ago
Comment removed
CornDoctor 2 years ago
@grufster1975 playing on a monophonic instrument the hardest thing among all the others is when you have to play polyphonic music...
and especially on a violin where you are considering of not scratching, touching two strings in the same time with specific pressure on each of them and after all having to interpret BACH believe me....difficulty comes to 10
the hardest thing you are able to do on a violin.
and the fact you cannot realise it shows how great player milstein was
crazy77town 2 years ago 4
@grufster1975:"Is this considered to be the hardest piece written for the violin?"
"The hardest?" If there is such a thing (would be very individual anyway) - but playing it well takes a real master. I know several good violinists, who plays lots of other stuff tears-in-you-eyes well (ready for recordings) - but some pieces are full of places where the player is just not up to it. . This is one of those that falls most apart - making quite good violinists sound sound way below their level.
sormu16 2 years ago
he plays like a god, outstanding violinist
RabbaniAldangor 2 years ago
Comment removed
Bestman172 2 years ago
This is one of the first recordings Ive heard where every, single, note isnt pounded out with some distasteful fury. At the beginning I thought that was what this would be but it soon worked itself out. However, does anyone find that the quarter note chords don't need to be pounded out? I think they could be much more sung out, as if someone were crying. This is what he wrote upon finding out his wife had died after all.
jgpg14 2 years ago 2
well, weepy isn't really baroque, which Bach was, this piece wasn't meant to be expressed through changes in dynamics, but the grand whole chords and its equally dramatic arpeggiated counterparts. If this were sung out, it would diminish the angst which in my opinion Bach clearly intended, because the performer can't just throw sfz in wherever he wants, because again, this is Bach, the baroque guy.
ThecitizenofTheworld 2 years ago
i understand you ThecitizenofTheworld, i've been looking for "the" perfect rendition with a gloomy feel, but that just doesn't exist. the more i listen to it, i realize, forcing the song to drag along doesn't bring out the melancholy and despair he supposedly felt over his wife's death when writing this. being a baroque composer, that probably wasn't the way he wanted to express it. i think the darker color of the notes is where his melancholy lives in this song.
great comment!(and rendition)
thoyo 2 years ago
menuhin's is perfectly balanced
poseuresque 2 years ago 2
The best recording of Chaconne I've heard. Nice and lively.
teenEDITOR 2 years ago 4
Heifetz-violin = Rubinstein- Piano
Milstein- violin = Gould - Piano
but.......... the time when they were here is over........ now high tech has taken over everybody's minds, barely any1 cares to enjoy classical
AlexanderWung 2 years ago
No word can describe how wonderful the pair (Milstein + Bach) is and will ever be,
dienerl 2 years ago 4
he plays very good
Petrox93 2 years ago
Esta composición se la dedicó a su primera fallecida esposa. Estupenda.
jogomez1988 2 years ago
This composition was dedicated to his first wife died. Great.
Debe tengo mejor calificación
txmusician13 2 years ago 3
musica para mis oidos sencillamente maravilloso
kuransakuya 2 years ago
Fellow UTubers: Can u recommend other violinists on the level of Heifetz, Milstein, Issac Stern or Yitzchak Perlman? Trying to broaden my tastes - easy to get locked into favs.
Tx in advance.
intheknow7 2 years ago
kogan menuhin grumiaux
teamMongolia 2 years ago
Janine Jansen is one of my favorites!
baskuiper 2 years ago
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Jousha Bell, Hilary Hahn, Janine Jansen
Penduluus 2 years ago
Hi,Sandor Vegh is certainly worth listening to.His interpretations are very powerful,and emotional without resort to sentiment.They also contain(on vinyl at least and through a revealing system)more of the 'noise' of the violin-fingers hitting the fingerboard etc-than I have heard on any other recordings.I will post these for you soon-There don't seem to be any on you tube presently.
shiveringflower 2 years ago
@shiveringflower yep! i ve his recordings!it sounds like the recording mic or smthing is just next to the f hole of the violin!
L0Usy1 2 years ago
beautiful <3
Poldey89 2 years ago
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I'll admit, I kinda prefer Hilary Hahnhs version compared to this. :o
A tad too fast for me.
whoryhobopowers 2 years ago
Comment removed
CornDoctor 2 years ago
As much as I liked this a couple years ago, now it seems even better. Milstein plays it, no frills.
gawgul 2 years ago
Stunning!
Penduluus 2 years ago 3
absolutely the greatest piece of music ever written. one of the best interpretations. no question. all in favor?
stupidstorm 2 years ago 40
yup
salvianojr 2 years ago
@stupidstorm Yes.
chalktwo 1 year ago
Bravo!
A wonderful live performance...far more exciting than any artificially idealized studio performance.
Viva Bach!
unusualmusician 2 years ago 6
why is this song so ridiculously hard to play o_O
ghostmosquito 2 years ago
Try the end of the Chaconne: it's quite easier to play than the rest (there's nearly no chords), and it's absolutely sublime
Louhk1 2 years ago
if the CHACONNE is a 'song' then the earth is square.
sijas 2 years ago 10
Comment removed
CornDoctor 2 years ago
The Chaconne as interpreted by Milstein, is an utterly human execution of a sustained emotion, a moment of infinite grief, a baring of the soul as has not been seen since Meister Bach offered his pain up to his God, in whom he placed absolute faith, knowing that only He possesses the power to transform despair into transcendent bliss. In Milstein's interpretation one hears the voice of God, not as it should be, but rather as it is, ineffably beautiful and pure. The heart comprehends implicitly.
Pleonastikosis 2 years ago 4
Whatever...
grichak 2 years ago
Your comments suit even more to the playing of George Enescu.
gaugin1903 2 years ago
totally meaningless talk. what if i just took the name "Milstein" and replaced it with "Heifetz" or "Szeryng" or any other violinist, or in fact, any other musician? would it still be the voice of "God"?
arzdiamondbacks 2 years ago
I disagree with Sijas. I am not 40 but 17 and I love classical music- visit lots of concerts, always am astonished about the way in how other musicians play their instruments..
classical music will stay for long time.
chirkainazum 2 years ago
I'm starting to delve into the world of classical composition myself. If you're interested in a MP3 of my first composition, give me your e-mail in a personal message.
JupiterIV 2 years ago
somewhat a little too fast at the 2 minutes
Coixxman 2 years ago
classic music never died!!!!!
lfo88 2 years ago 14
it makes me wonder....
besides people that play classical instruments, the only people that really listen to classical music are people that are 40+
like if you go to a concert, everyone you see has gray hair.
so does that mean in a couple of decades, the teens of today will listen to classical music as well? or is classical music slowly dying?
sijas 2 years ago
I'm 19 now, but I've listened to bach since I was about 14, 15. I was also exposed to the other famous composers like beethoven and mozart since I was in elementary school. So, make of it what you will.
bobxiii 2 years ago 2
Bobxiii v/s Sijas...
Bobxiii: You Win!!! Perfect!!!
kristophersonsky 2 years ago
I'm 18, and I love "classical" music, mostly from the romantic period.
goku2137 2 years ago
Very nice!
MartaBtrp 2 years ago
I think, they just have the right support to their children.
The chance of a talent to be detected is high in a high educated group.
christophleipzig 2 years ago 3
Wonder why so many outstanding violinists are jewish? Is there a preference for this instrument in jewish culture?
sormu16 2 years ago
The violin was central in Jewish culture in Europe so many Jewish people played violin from the population.
BFGUITAR 2 years ago
this is for me the reference interpretation...of course ...a little vbit unusually....but with so much felling in music, not in the player...nathan was one of the greatest masters
esembesem 2 years ago
Milstein definitely brings brilliance to this piece, but I prefer Hilary Hahn's interpretation. It seems less busy, more sublime.
emansf01 2 years ago
Please, be sure if your comments are appropriate, otherwise it will be deleted.
salvianojr 2 years ago
Milstein, Perelman, Kremer, Szeryng,Menuhin, Stern... the number of jews in classical and particularly Bach violin concerti is pretty overwhelming, how come?
kilbanov 2 years ago
put religion out of music
rawautube 2 years ago 3
it's not a matter of religion, it' s the cultural background and the educational formation that build the musician personality and determine its artistic expression, doubtless religion and ethnic cultural play a huge role in this way and that's what I want to understand, it has nothing to do with racism or anything of the sort it's kinda anthropology interest
kilbanov 2 years ago 3
religion?culture..when did those become one?let us just listen to the master play a masterpiece,shall we?
rawautube 2 years ago 2
Dear, let's listen to bach music which is fundamentally fulfilling the purpose of glorifying god and jesus through the many cantatas and fugues, here is a blatant proof that you cannot put religion out of music neither painting nor architecture nor philosophy and so on, western civilisation owes too much to christendom, don't let your traumatizing experience with religion prevent you from seeing those facts, kindly
kilbanov 2 years ago 2
Richard Strauss was an atheist, as are many of today's great musicians.
There are MANY examples of atheist and pagan philosophers. The Greek philosophers existed before Christianity. The US Founding Fathers were Deist or Agnostic. Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and John Rawls were atheist; John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Jean J. Rousseau were agnostic or deist.
Had Christianity not spread its word so violently, Bach could've created music such as "The Nebula's Concerto" or "Jupiter's Fugue".
Lewie82 2 years ago
Herr Kant was definitely NOT an atheist and actually put forth many philosophical reasons for the belief in God in his "Critique of Practical Reason." Christian?---debatable. Atheist---certainly not. Also, Bach was quoted as saying "Music's only purpose should be the glory of God and the recreation of the human spirit," so your premise that Bach's music was not directly influenced by Christianity has been refuted by the man himself. Just sayin'...
Saxydude05 2 years ago 2
I concur wholeheartedly; besides, what matters most is that the voice of God moves through the instrument, and said instrument has no choice but to sing forth His glory, irrespective of delusions of personal manifest destiny or simple volition to the contrary. Atheism, agnosticism, etc., fall by the wayside as we consider His power to move the elements and shape destiny to His purpose, against human will, against human desire. The ecstacy is total.
Pleonastikosis 2 years ago
well, it is humans who create and play music, some do better some do worse... or maybe you would say that in the instrument of those who play not as good moves something else?
vonlubcke 2 years ago
meu! que emoção!
que sentimento!
Essa música é sensacional. Que expressão absolutamente formidável!
Bach realmente foi um gênio!
magnífico.
femto2 2 years ago
My teacher was the concertmaster of the Halle orchestra in Manchester and he said that whenever they played with a violin soloist he would say to himself,'if i did some practice I could play like that'. But not Milstein. He thought he was from another planet.
mgwynnjones 2 years ago