Mind blowing.

[Josquin des Prez]

That's all i'm going to say:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gja9Q1szsIs&feature=related

I'm not clear whether that's actually Enescu or Dinicu, but it blows Heifetz out of the stratosphere at any rate.

[Brian]

it blows Heifetz out of the stratosphere at any rate.

Careful.    I've always thought the Hungarian gypsy band violinists are some of the most jaw-droppingly good in the world.

Ciocarlia is a folk tune which was transcribed and popularized by Dinicu, then used in Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody. Here's a performance of it in a pub where the violinist almost loses it ... and then surges back in earpopping style. Ciocarlia is incredibly fun to watch closely (just wait for the birdcalls at the end!). This Australian guy has the hang of it, too. No way anyone earth can beat this intro, though.

The guy in the first video has an exceptional command too, but left me wishing YouTube had some videos of the incredible Antal Szalai, whom I saw live with his orchestra. My favorite part of that was seeing a young Karajan. Goodness!

Not sure how any of this is classical, but it is one of my other major musical passions. 

Best violin performance I've heard: Victor Schultz, in Greenhorn Blues on the klezmer CD "Finjan: Crossing Selkirk Avenue".

[Josquin des Prez]

Careful. 

Well, didn't he say himself that Dinicu was the greatest violin virtuoso he ever knew? Assuming that's Dinicu playing.

[Brian]

Well, didn't he say himself that Dinicu was the greatest violin virtuoso he ever knew? Assuming that's Dinicu playing.

Yep, Heifetz said so indeed

[Josquin des Prez]

Well, it definitely sounds nice. BTW, the first video is a mighty impressive display of peasant virtuosity. Those people are nuts. 

[carlos]

I strongly recommend you listen to Dinicu playing
his Hora Staccato. That's how the piece should be
played, in real gypsy style. After hear Dinicu's ,
Heifetz's version sounds (to me at least) academic
and false. And remember that Dinicu was a Flesch's
pupil, and for a while, concertino of the Bucarest SO.

[lukeottevanger]

A spectacular violinist in this folk tradition is Felix Lajko - some of his work is so powerful and gritty it takes the breath away. I just run a little youtube search on him - the first that comes up is this beautiful little clip of him playing in the outdoors:

http://www.youtube.com/v/iUjFNJeWJ2s

but I haven't explored the others yet.

[Josquin des Prez]

^ Video doesn't seem to work.

Just because i opened this thread for Enescu, here's something actually performed by him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUevUF31npw&feature=related

[Josquin des Prez]

And just because we are going into the deep end of old violinists, here's something totally and completely mind blowing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tixMlx2YOwI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeVFYA0Duss&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-p8YeIQkxs

And unlike the Brahms recording, you can actually hear him play. Why was i never made aware of this?

[Que]

I strongly recommend you listen to Dinicu playing
his Hora Staccato. That's how the piece should be
played, in real gypsy style. After hear Dinicu's ,
Heifetz's version sounds (to me at least) academic
and false. And remember that Dinicu was a Flesch's
pupil, and for a while, concertino of the Bucarest SO.

Carlos, you undoubtedly already have this (nice to see you back btw! ).
But to our fellow posters I'd like point out this disc with mainly (historical) recordings by Grigoras Dinicu, but also some tracks with Polyakin, Heifetz, Elman and Seidel.


         click on picture for tracklisting

Strongly recommended! 

Q

[Brian]

This reminds me of one of my very favorite CDs in the world. I think it's Music and Arts (?) who have a release of Jeno Hubay and his students playing the music of Jeno Hubay. Haunting - it feels like one is hearing ghosts.