Hilary Hahn plays Mendelssohn E minor I cadenza

I love Janine Jansen. Chang just doesn't do it for me, but that's just me. Menuhin and Perlman were (and are) icons, legends of the violin. Hilary is wonderful. I love almost everything she does. Music is not sports! There is no single "best" violinist. It's a matter of taste. In any case, Hilary's virtuosity is clear and self evident. If you don't like her style, then you will deem her playing "inferior" but really, she deserves the highest praise for her execution and musicality.

First of all this is a video of a live performance, not a studio recording. Second, her technical skills, (maybe not musicality), far surpass the old greats. She can play songs in live performance, cleaner than heifetz, menuhin, or perlman can in studio recordings, which have multiple takes and enhancement. Just listen to her play last rose of summer. If you've reached a certain level, (brahms, paganini, or shostakovich before age 18) you'll know what I'm talking about. Hahn is far superior.

too fast to be beautiful.

seriously. if you think that this is the best interpretation, you are sorely mistaken.
she plays it well, obviously, but there are so many better recordings.

listen to janine jansen