Hilary Hahn, Grave, Violin Sonata No. 2 - Michael Lawrence Films Bach Project

[jhglobal1]

As Heifetz said, "we consider Bach to be the Bible." I can certainly attest to the fact one can always uncover more depth, and enhance one's musicianship by playing Bach regularly....after more than 40 years of playing..I still play Bach EVERY time I practice. And nothing is more satisfying than finally getting a passage just right.

[Prodigium123]

well, I think Hilary is a great violinist and I don't want to say I can play better, but she played different notes in 4.08. That is not what Bach wrote, sorry.

[TheYipsl]

lovely. thank you.

[iamawsome1138]

i am an 8th grade violinist and you are amazing!!!!! i want to me just like you!!!!!!!!! :)

[trilulilula]

what shoulder rest is that..??

[LadyInDaHouse88]

I think what makes Hilary Hahns musical playing so outstanding comes from her transparent perception on Bach and other composers (and music in general)... that makes her an exception amongst other violinists... She's brilliant.

[leoncioviolin]

BRAVO

[cavaleer]

Well said Mlle. Hahn. Bach's sonatas are very meditative.

[wertyu311]

çok iyi

[dududevynidu]

beautiful intonation

[inksama]

how could 2 people hate this!?!?!

[TheDeviltrace]

hilary....YOU are progressive. YOU ARE A GENIUS.

[rcrespo357]

ok i know that this is an old video an all. but you are gorgeous. this is amazing. i want meet you forreal. do whatever ha. but yeah.

[violinoamore]

I quite hate talking into playing ... Why not to play (or talk first) and then to talk or play later ?

[veloqis]

I really like Hilary's perfect intonation. She is so gifted in so many ways.

[LadyInDaHouse88]

She has such a great perception of Bach and music in general. She's a true artist.

[699backstab]

These type of people are amongst the upper crust of homo sapein. The best we can offer. They are what I wish actually represented my species...instead of a fat stupid american or a islamic suicide bomber. What a shame my kind cant get their shit together like this woman.

[Classic0187]

@699backstab A fat, stupid American? What kind of hypocritical elitist are you? You come here and degrade an entire country with your dribble and expect people to agree with you? You're a spec of dust on this planet like the rest of us and your entire existence is but a drop in the bucket of time. Instead of thinking you are enormously special, why not work on looking at yourself as others see you. From reading you here, it isn't pretty.

[699backstab]

@Classic0187 fat stupefied americans are religious zealots who, too easily, find access to oxygen.

[violinistCynthiaAnne]

That 1 person hit the wrong button

[stoklund]

I LOVE U!!! :D

[SlippinPegs]

Is there the piece played by her without her talking over it?

[trevorpinnocky]

I think you can dissect Bach technically, musically, and historically without end. But to perform it well i don't agree that you need to do any of those things. Bach did it for us. He made the philosophical journeys, took the musical risks, and gave of his deepest emotions to produce the music. If you play it honestly, it will always sound beautiful. The life in it comes from your willingness to be vulnerable, to engage in the conversation happening between the music, you, and the audience.

[dozemix]

If I have a life, the violin has got a great part of it.

[semperwifi1]

Does anyone the name of the piano piece at 5:14?

Thank you.

[pugay69]

@semperwifi1 D major fugue book 1

[gvn933]

i bet she got a perfect on the SATs 

[starryeyed95]

@gvn933 hilary hahn wrote the SATs.

[pierolivier111]

@gvn933 Why? She's good in music but she could not be a total genius at school.

[semperwifi1]

@pierolivier111 True, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did turn out to be awesome in school. One thing I've noticed among almost all top classical musicians (and many nonclassical musicians) is they're quite intelligent people- they're geeks in the best sense of the word :)

[pierolivier111]

@semperwifi1 Well, Hilary rather look to me like a very organised and methodic person. That kind of disposition often gives really good results no matter what is the task.

[semperwifi1]

@pierolivier111 I've also noticed that many top musicians are descended from people who specialize in a mathematics related field including engineering and science, among them Gil Shaham, Cho Liang Lin, Horowitz. I dare say that imo most classical musicians would likely excel in academics.

[pierolivier111]

@semperwifi1 Math and music are closely related and compute similarly by the brain. And being good at school doesn't mean a lot. A docile average child can get better grades than a genius who's not interested. Hilary is sure intelligent, but what does her mental capacities represent to a person with an IQ of 160. It's all relative.

[semperwifi1]

@pierolivier111 True, again, but I don't believe this thread was about equating musical ability with genius, it was about recognizing a link between classical music ability and solid academic performance which both are due to intelligence and good work ethic. That's certainly been my experience. Of all the good classical players I've grown up with and met in my life, all of them were excellent in academics. Many went professional, many left music behind to become engineering geeks, like me :)

[katiekatlovesu]

@gvn933 No, she studied at her music school at 10. So she didn't have a chance to take SATs. She just studied music.

[profit37439]

true that! click to rippify (dot) com to download youtube music to mp3s.

[hsviolinplayer]

Amazing. Ms. Hahn's Bach is some of the best I've ever heard. When I listen to her play Bach, the overwhelming feeling washes over me that this is the way Bach must have dreamed of his music being played, and somehow the music feels more whole and complete in some way. Her interpretation of Bach has the power to make one feel a little more complete themselves, if you ask me! I'd better stop now, kind of a mushy sentiment to be expressing in a YouTube comment box... :)

[athulican]

That bow just bites the strings with the perfect combination of pressure, speed and contact, that produces the purest and fullest sound.

[MooseDrool13]

Does anybody know a place to watch the full version of this recording without the voiceover? The sound quality is absolutely superb, better than any other recording of her playing this, and I'd love to simply hear the recording unto itself (the second DVD of the movie this comes from doesn't include this performance unfortunately).

[janadetuna]

Hilary: You're the love of my life, I love you! Alberto

[violinstudy]

Ms. Hahn is amazingly perceptive of compositions. The care she puts into considering the composer's intentions is truly admirable. She seems like such a thoughtful person.

[BH1827]

Does anyone knows where was this filmed, it looks like nyc

[LeChanathon]

Don't I wish I could play Bach like that. :)

[hhold]

is your hair tied back or cut short?

[pppsssssssss]

While watching this, I keep wishing that they wouldve interviewed her on the side cause i just wanted to hear her play...her Bach has always been very different and unique, but with such an amazing clarity and purity in tone. brava hilary!

[Muggleman12]

@pppsssssssss ditto

[sregnathan]

Happy new year Hilary Hahn

Reghunath Violinist India

[littledagny]

I love this video. Whenever I hear or see people trying to explain Bach, or fighting over what they think he thought, or what we should think of him, or anything like that... just watch Hilary play.

[aurum2007]

Behold the 21st century's answer to Heifetz in the 20th century and Paganini in the 19th

[pila406]

Don't forget that she has to beat Julia Fischer first - and in my opinion Julia is above her in any aspect.

[Littleway84]

Very nice!

[Vistorrrr]

pulchritudinis!!!

thank you!

[cageynerd]

I would like to add that when violinists are asked to play Bach, they are really testing their inner strength and will. Are they patient? Are they intellectual? Essentially, are they mature enough to understand the complexity of his music? When Bach comes out right, one knows that a musician is a strong musician and often quite versatile. So play Bach on violin -- I can't imagine a violin student who has NEVER touched Bach...

[VladArtamonov]

Прекрасно!

[jghamm]

sehe ich auch so :)