Violin Virtuosos: From Paganini to the 21st Century

Rating:
Summary: A unique and fascinating book
Review: Having read more than a few books on violinists, I can honestly say that this book is in a class by itself. It is far more insightful and analytical than any other book of its genre. While it is indeed colored by the subject evaluations (some of which I disagree with) it is a provocative work that that depicts many of the subtle details that most other commentators do not illuminate(ex:impulse vibrato)As for the reviewer who disputed the author's claims-I agree that Michael Rabin's recording of the Paginini 24 caprices has been surpassed by others, notably the early recording by Ossy Renardy, and more recently by Shlomo Mintz(yes, it's even BETTER than Midori's!) As for the Dvorak concerto, Midori's may be better than the well known recording made by Milstein in the 1960's, when he was still great-but past his prime. Listen to his first recording(unfortunately in mono) to hear the greatest performance of this work you will ever hear. And as for Gil Shaham- he is truly a great violinist, but not quite a great musician. Perlman is both, although Shaham may have a slight edge in technique. Moreover, Perlman's superiority is predicated on his charisma, which surpasses Shaham and just about all other violinists around. While Perlman is somewhat overrated and isn't my favorite player, it is safe to say that Shaham will never achieve the popularity and renown of Perlman, or possess the same degree of individuality. I admire Shaham, but he will never be the best player on the planet.

Rating:
Summary: Opinions of an expert
Review: In this comprehensive volume, Mr. Roth focuses on the great violinists' PLAYING and recordings, rather than on biographical information. Since he is a professional violinist and critic with tremendous experience, many of his viewpoints are insightful and edifying. For instance, he convinced me that Paganini, as well as all the legendary violinists of the 19th century, probably didn't play as well as we imagined. A violin student can learn a lot from reading this book, e.g. he can try to emulate and assimilate all the merits of each great violinist.

Yet, because the thrust of this book is his evaluation of the violinists' playing, he cannot avoid being subjective. For example, his ears are hypnotized by the tone and vibrato of Heifetz and Kreisler. He thinks that one should use vibrato for every note in a lyrical passage, and he believes that a white vibrato-less note has absolutely no expressive power. Therefore, he criticizes many violinists, including Oistrakh, for using vibrato in an "on-and-off" manner.

After reading this book, I had the IMPRESSION that Mr. Roth's list of the greatest violinists ever PROBABLY goes something like this:

=1. Heifetz =1. Kreisler 3. Oistrakh 4. Szeryng 5. Perlman 6. Kogan

He also greatly admires Szigeti, Grumiaux, as well as Menuhin and Elman (in their youth).

Among today's younger generation of violinists, he probably thinks Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Maxim Vengerov, Sarah Chang, and Leila Josefowicz are the most promising.

I wrote the above assumption to give you an idea of Mr. Roth's taste. But even if you disagree with him, this book is still worth reading. It provides much valuable information you'll not find elsewhere, including opinions expressed by the greats themselves and a vast survey of the violinists' discography. Though Roth's comments are inevitably subjective, his professional observations can be taken as a reference, especially when you've got to understand his tastes. Of course, if you dislike Heifetz, you can pretty much ignore most of his adulations.

Rating:
Summary: A must for violin lovers
Review: Roth's book is an incredible survey of many of the greatest violinists, including some who are becoming forgotten by my generation.

It is true that his opinions are sprinkled throughout, including his irritating comments about on-off vibrato.

In case readers haven't noticed, it's a crime that he has lumped all women violinists together into a short section and essentially belittled their contributions. Kyung-Wha Chung and Anne-Sophie Mutter both offer more than, say, Pinchas Zukerman will ever amount to.

To his great credit, he helps to introduce some wonderful insights into the playing of Henryk Szereng, Leonid Kogan, and Arthur Grumiaux (along with several others). This book is a must for every violin lover in an effort to remember and preserve the memories of these great musicians. Roth also is relaying a message to the next generation of violinists: help preserve the art of violin performance, but remember that musicianship and honest communication are of the utmost importance.

Rating:
Summary: Can't show it to my students without an apology...
Review: The longer I own this book, the more angry it makes me. Though it has long and glorious articles about many of the greats, it relegates all women to a tiny chapter in the very back, as if they were a side-show novelty. How does Roth justify such an outdated prejudice in such a modern book? How do I justify keeping it on my bookshelf?