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Rating: 
Summary: The Ideal Violinist
Review: "The Ideal Violinist" -- that's what Fritz Kreisler called Milstein. Need other reasons to buy this DVD? Okay: how about that if you never got to hear Milstein "live" (I did), this is about as close as you're going to get any time soon as nothing else is currently available (I know the recording studios are holding out more of these gems...make 'em give it up!). The sound and film quality are very fine for this vintage and the playing gives new meaning to the phrase "iron fist in a velvet glove". So, even if you're only mildly interested in Milstein, great violinists, violin music, etc., or even generally jaded about life-changing musical experiences, just pop this DVD into your machine and prepare to be knocked out in your own living room.
Rating:
Summary: The Ideal Violinist
Review: "The Ideal Violinist" -- that's what Fritz Kreisler called Milstein. Need other reasons to buy this DVD? Okay: how about that if you never got to hear Milstein "live" (I did), this is about as close as you're going to get any time soon as nothing else is currently available (I know the recording studios are holding out more of these gems...make 'em give it up!). The sound and film quality are very fine for this vintage and the playing gives new meaning to the phrase "iron fist in a velvet glove". So, even if you're only mildly interested in Milstein, great violinists, violin music, etc., or even generally jaded about life-changing musical experiences, just pop this DVD into your machine and prepare to be knocked out in your own living room.
Rating:
Summary: Smouldering Bach, blistering Paganini and the wrong title
Review: I bought this DVD about 9 months ago from Canada before it was available in the US. I later bought this DVD again because I thought it contained the Complete Brahms and Beethoven concertos played by Milstein but this is labeled incorrectly and does not contain the Beethoven at all nor the complete Brahms Concerto.Nathan Milstein was the first russian to play Bach with intensity and conviction. I use the word smouldering because his intensity is so overwhelming it will grip your ears and your mind and force you to listen closely. His Paganini Caprice 5 is played at a speed so fast I can only describe it as blistering. I love this performance of the Kreutzer sonata and the clip of the Brahms concerto, every note is so clean and articulate. Paganiniana is a set of variations on the infamous 24th caprice compled by Mr Milstein, it basically contains a medley of the best phrases from all the caprices and concertos and is a fitting tribute to Paganini who was the best violin virtuoso who ever lived. The 24th caprice of course inspired many composers to write variations including Brahms, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Ysaye and Rochberg. One thing I appreciate about Milstein is his masterful bowing and the fact that he never uses excessive or too wide of a vibrato. From looking at his editing and bowings of many scores I have seen, Mr Milstein has the most masterful understanding of bowing of any violinist I know of. His playing is so tasteful and his intonation is always immaculate, it is easy to understand when you hear and watch him play why he was labeled the violinist's violinist. I would also have to recommend the VHS about Milstein called Master of Invention. This is an incredible documentary that simply must be reissued and is terribly hard to find. What a shame that some of the best violin materials are so hard to acquire! Mischa Elman is not my favorite violinist but I always find his playing interesting, here is yet another display of why people fell in love with his tone and why he sold so many records. There is so much charm in the music of Kreisler combined with virtuosity. I remember hearing Kreisler's music for the first time and thinking that he must have been extrememly familiar with Paganini's music because I heard traces of Paganini's music come in to combine with Kreisler's charming Vienese sound. These videos are incredibly helpful to me for learning these works as a violin student and I recommend them to music lovers of any genre. DVD contains: 1)Mozart Adagio in E maj K261
2)Mozart Rondo in C maj K373
3)Paganini Caprice 11
4)Paganini Caprice 5
5)Falla Jota
6)Falla Astriana
7)Novacek Perpetual Motion
8)Mozart A maj Concerto 1st movement
9)Brahms Concerto 3rd movement
10)Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata Movement 1
11)Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata Movement 3
12)Bach Chaconne
13)Milstein Paganiniana
14)Bach E maj Partida movement 1 Bonus:
14)Micha Elman - Perghiera in the style of Padre Martini by Kreisler
15)Elman plays Schon Rosmarin by Kreisler 5 star CD all the way, just don't buy it twice like I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent player, lacking DVD
Review: Milstein is an excellent violinist, and there really is little need for anyone to tell of his amazing artistry that lasted well into his eighties (a feat in and of itself, considering the violin's heavy physical demands).
There is need, however, for comments on this DVD:
Although I enjoyed this collection of Milstein pieces tremendously, and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of both the video and the sound, I was definitely clamoring for more. Perhaps if EMI had seen fit to include a complete recording of the Brahms, some more Paganini, and maybe even a bonus section including some of the interviews with this man (quite a funny character, actually), it would have been much appreciated. Accordingly, much as I enjoyed this DVD, it serves more as a teaser than anything else.
Rating:
Summary: If you play violin.....
Review: you need this DVD. What a champion.
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