Best recording of the Ysaye solo violin sonatas?

[Guido]

This is the first performance I heard of any of these astonishing works
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7736349766151442536&q=ysaye+violin+sonata+no.3

I have never found a recording of these works (from my sampling) that has been as intense, in tune, and full toned as this recording. She's only 17 too! This video made me want to play violin (although I'm not going to!). She plays it with an almost daemonic Scriabinesque drive that is absolutely fitting and electrifying.

[Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber]

she does a good job but thomas zehetmair plays them better.

[Harry Collier]

You have a lot to choose from. From personal knowledge:

Philippe Graffin *
Ilya Kaler
Leonidas Kavakos *
Laurent Korcia
Hana Kotkovà
Ruggiero Ricci
Benjamin Schmid
Oscar Shumsky *
Vilmos Szabadi
Frank Peter Zimmermann

Actually, none of the above is below par (except, perhaps, Ricci). My favoured three at the moment are those with an asterix.

[Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber]

ooo i bet oscar shumsky's is really good!

[carlos]

Harry: as nearly always, our opinions
regarding Ricci (and Oistrakh) are
opposite

[lukeottevanger]

I think Schmid is pretty darned strong in these works - faultless technique, great tonal range, powerfully compelling performances - but I don't know as many versions as some of you gentlemen do, against which to compare him.

[Rabin_Fan]

Zehetmair - anyone heard his version yet to make a comment?

Carlos - from the Ricci recordings that I have heard - he is like Menuhin in the sense that his technique is not fully up to most things - sorry, but that is my opinion of Ricci. He should have retired a long, long time ago.

[Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber]

Zehetmair - anyone heard his version yet to make a comment?

i can't say i'm a connoisseur of ysaye's sonatas but i definitely like zehetmair's recording. one of my measures of a good recording of bach's solo violin stuff is how easy or effortless it sounds. i think the same measure could be applied to ysaye's since both are considered to be the among the most difficult for violin. zehetmair makes it sound easy if you ask me. he got excellent reviews on amazon, if that matters. he got an excellent review on the bbc site also:

I'm going to make this really simple. If you care about the violin, and value great musicianship, you need this disc.
There, that was easy, wasn't it?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/62zf/

[carlos]

Rabin-Fan; do you know Ricci's Ysaye?. He had all his
technique when he recorded it. And you have to listen
to his recordings from the 40s to 60s and you'll change
your mind.

[BorisG]

This is the first performance I heard of any of these astonishing works
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-7736349766151442536&q=ysaye+violin+sonata+no.3

I have never found a recording of these works (from my sampling) that has been as intense, in tune, and full toned as this recording. She's only 17 too! This video made me want to play violin (although I'm not going to!). She plays it with an almost daemonic Scriabinesque drive that is absolutely fitting and electrifying.

I would nominate the Ysaye sonatas for lease-breaking music. Ysaye you?

[Justin Ignaz Franz Bieber]

I would nominate the Ysaye sonatas for lease-breaking music.

what does that mean? 

[m_gigena]

Check Vengerov's master class to Philipp Schottle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA9sBQ_0Jo&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPviIDEdyw&mode=related&search=

(You should also take a look at the little girl playing Sarasate, from the same class)



What about Gidon Kremer? IMO, his full set is very impressive.

[Harry Collier]

Rabin-Fan; do you know Ricci's Ysaye?. He had all his
technique when he recorded it. And you have to listen
to his recordings from the 40s to 60s and you'll change
your mind.

He recorded the Ysaye sonatas in 1972; too late. His intonation really went downhill after the 1950s and he also produced some very raw sounds from his del Gesu.

[Rabin_Fan]

Harry has answered you Carlos. Perhaps we (Harry and I) are divergent in our opinion of Ricci from you.