Nathan Milstein plays Tchaikovsky (vaimusic.com)

[outoftunefiddler]

Everyone is a critic, but who, making the negative remarks here, remembers back to when they could not play a G major scale on the G and D strings in 1st position? Eh?

[anigopal]

fantastic video quality!!

[anigopal]

the quality of this video/recording is breathtaking for its relative age!

[MusicCloud1]

To me, Milstein is what Heifetz would look like if he played with more motion (physically)

[Warcaftidiot11]

Ughh... 0:51 too flat

[MusicCloud1]

@Warcaftidiot11 Might be the recording



[MsNinjaKing]

comeonnnnn you can't leave me there!! where's the rest??? this takes my breath away...

[calloffthedogs]

This kicks some serious ass! Where is the rest of it??

[musicpirate456]

Heifetz's vibrato was narrow and almost pinchy sounding. and beautifully romantic. It's rather electrifying. But obviously his speed is envied above all. Milstein is just...fantastic. I am in love with this recording.

[SUPERPAGANINI]

q mala interpretacion de Milstein la vdd como q estaba medio verde en esos años la de Henryk Szeryng es una de las mejores

[corax176]

@SUPERPAGANINI JAJAJAJAAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAAJAJA­JAJA ya quisieramos tocar como el xD

[henryprost]

What the hell? anyone is saying Heifetz and Milstein suck? and other crap about some bad vibrato in them? are you crazy??? Both are masters of the violin in everything, also, this interpretation of milstein is exquisite, listen to those double stops! his unique sound, afination, rythm... men this is great

[neurosurgeonism]

This is undoubtedly brilliant playing....

I infinitely prefer Perlam and Heifetz though.

He is definitely flat at 0:51 and painfully so around 1:40!!

Perlman may not play the Concerto as quickly, but I believe he leaves the music more time to breathe, and speak for itself than Milstein.

[operaisbestbrowser]

@neurosurgeonism yeah, those two points, especially the second, are pretty good.

[JPizzle1490]

@neurosurgeonism This whole video is not the best showcase of Milstein's playing. Check out his recording of this concerto with Fistoulari. I guarantee you'll change your mind!!!!

[pviola314]

@neurosurgeonism Alas, you are right but it's not neurosurgery. How many times have I heard wrong notes at carnegie hall? : ) @ the rest: some critics here just strike me as out of touch. Anyone who plays in concerts (where the people enjoy the music) or goes to hear live music knows that the standard in which the greats played is something to be respected, regardless of whether they are in taste with modern trends.

[mjsinno]

jaaznm and mjsinno are same person just to let you know

[OriginalMoonbeam]

5 stars for Milstein..the epitome of the perfect violinist...always the epitome of class and elegance as well.

[mjsinno]

I dont know why everyone is comparing Milstein and Heifetz, personally i think both there interpretations suck. Haifetz plays it way to fast and i dont like his old school vibrato in Thaik, i like Bells interpretation

[bastianloewe]

first

you cant say that heifetz sucks

I dont like him either, but men, he is an amazing violinst, also milstein, i am agree tchaikovsky, isnt his thing, but liste to his bach interpretations, ore even brahms one,, everything axcept thaick, and you cant compare a violinst like bell with those legends is to much for him, oo and listen to oistrakh interpretation, thats comparable to those legends of the violin playing

[jaaznm]

haha well if you read my comment, i said that there interpretations of the tchaik concerto were no good. I never said anything about there violin playing in general, which is obviously amazing and in my opinion much better then Joshua Bell

[Doctor550]

You are ridiculous

[dxhaloxc]

how can he have the most beautiful sound when you 'cant hear' it.

[signorpaganini]

we cant hear it in the recordings

[oldgoat5]

listen to the later recordings?????

[calloffthedogs]

not sure why your comment got negative reviews other than the fact that this is a Milstein video.

[craisslayer]

@mjsinno bell blows.

[dfxr808]

what a treat!!!

[musicpirate456]

How can this be better than Heifetz? You cannot beat his vibrato or fast left hand.

[LookItsJelly]

i never understood why heifetz's vibrato was so special. it's always seemed one dimensional to me. i mean sure, i respect him for his music, but in my opinion his vibrato wasn't really his strong point...

[jascha1978]

i'm not sure how one could like this better than heifetz's but that is just my opinion. what is a perfect interpretation?but about this clip-i'm not sure i'm crazy about the expressive intonation at the opening(the really low b flat or quarter tone not1/2 step) and also the fingering of the theme.stern plays it in a very simple manner on the d-string.most people play it on the g, NM does both and the color change is oddly timed to my taste.i love nathan but i could live without his tchaik

[aldousH]

Awesome. Passion, style, and power. Every note is felt.  Perfect interpretation.

Completely opposite from Heifetz's contrast of black/white, fast/slow playing, which lacks depth and transitions of meaning.

[Zhou9]

It seems like Milstein's bow hand is really stiff; his fingers are also together.

Anyway, usually I love Milstein's interpretations because they are just perfect in style, but I have to say on the Tchaikovsky, Perlman clearly outduels him.

[duhhh86]

he's just using the russian bow hold.

[Zhou9]

Yeah, but his fingers are glued together.

I don't care I love Milstein's playing.

The recording is much better, by the way.

[2934703]

Why do we insist on ranking great violinists? Should we all vote and have a rank number appear in pranthesis after name? I liked Milsein's interpretation of this concert. I also liked Perlman's and Heifetz and a couple others but couldn[t tell which I liked best.

[jabsomdoc]

milstein was as great as there were.

[schilippe]

eh...

[likemyviolin]

Sound is lovely but the articulations are ridiculous...

[2934703]

Please define articulations

[govibe]

I really didn't like this interpretation... It didn't seem as "sensitive" as Oistrakh's, if you know what I mean...

[lordnifield]

normally i like milstein, but i'm horrified by this interpretation :P

[scottbos68]

kogan is the one who really nailed the tchaik

[issagele]

Scottbos68, do you like this(Milstein's) interpretation of the Tchaikovsky?

[scottbos68]

milstein's tchaik i would describe as intense

for tchaik i like kogan and rabin most of all

but i like perlman oistrakh heifetz repin too ...all for different reasons

[issagele]

so you don't like Milstein's as much as Perlman Oistrakh Heifetz or Repin? Do you like Kyung Wha Chung's?

[scottbos68]

milstein is a little clean for me but hes a great violinist, there are other things he plays that i like better, was more impressed with his mendelssohn for example

chungs is ok i bet she played it better than it was recorded

hey thats just my opinion everyone should have their own

[sstutter]

People need to stop glorifying the dead so much. Just because Perlman isn't from the same era as Heifetz/Milstein doesn't mean he isn't as good. The violinists from that era aren't gods, and yes, they can be topped. Listen closely, and face the facts. Perlman is better than Milstein by far at the Tchaik and many other pieces as well.

[Doctor550]

nobody is better than milstein

[Romanticloser16]

Pearlman is no match for Milstein. It's a known fact. Pearlman kisses Milsteins rustic bones. He's the greatest violinist besides Heifetz, that ever lived.

[HeifetzSucks]

how about ricci, kogan, hassid?

[Doctor550]

Ricci?come on don't compare this out of tune man with milstein,kogan only knows to play paganini and hassid only know to play jewish songs

[gnatural]

one thing about milsteins playing, its never over damatic always exact, not that being over damatic is bad, i love it

[helouz]

Perlman's version is MUCH bettttterrrrrrrr Itzhak Perlman IS a hero :')

[topmoumoute42]

Oistrakh version is the ony one !

[soundsupport]

true that

[GreatPianists]

Despite Perlman being a phenomenal violinist and undoubtedly a hero and great human being, I don't think that he can compare with such greats as Milstein or Oistrakh.

That being said, Perlman's Tchaikovsky concerto is definitely recommended listening. A great performance.

[OriginalMoonbeam]

I love the violin and music as much as I do anything but not certain how performing creates a hero..It does bring to mind Ossy Renardy who was not a real master like Milstein but was quite good considering he was self-taught, became an American citizen and then left safety and his recording career to fight the Nazis in combat and perform for fellow soldiers. He was a hero.

[ellegin88]

ahh milstein... my hero