Hilary Hahn

[Herman]

Yes, we definitey need a recording of the Tchaikovsky.

[Brian]

Yes, we definitey need a recording of the Tchaikovsky.

Just looking at recordings that have come out in the past three years, Hilary will be duking it out with Ilya Kaler, Julia Fischer, Gil Shaham, and Vadim Gluzman. Tough crowd.

[MishaK]

Tough crowd.

Not really. She can cream them.

[DavidW]

Just looking at recordings that have come out in the past three years, Hilary will be duking it out with Ilya Kaler, Julia Fischer, Gil Shaham, and Vadim Gluzman. Tough crowd.

Yeah... you see that was sarcasm.

[Brian]

Yeah... you see that was sarcasm.

[DavidW]

Oh gotcha <puts on Milstein>

[bhodges]

Just found out Hilary Hahn will be on Conan O'Brien's show on Thursday night, Jan. 14 ("assuming he's still on the air," joked one report). 

--Bruce

[Rinaldo]

She's a pretty good interviewer!

[Mirror Image]

I love her performance of the traditional concertos and even the Schoenberg and Higdon concertos, and I am by no means a fan of atonal music.

You call Bartok's mid to later works "ugly and harsh," but you praise the VC of Schoenberg? I don't get you at all.

[Mirror Image]

I like Hilary's playing of the Schoenberg concerto because she is very emotional with it. She lifts the music, same with Higdon. She has made people love these concertos and understand this hard music. I am one of these people, even though I usually don't like hard and harsh music.

I've liked the Schoenberg VC before Hahn ever touched it. It's the music you essentially enjoy, regardless who plays it, though it does help to have a virtuoso like Hahn performing it.

[Mirror Image]

...atonal music has to be played emotionally.

That can be said of any music. If there's no emotion, then why play it?

[Moonfish]

I utterly admire Hilary Hahn as a violinist and for her very selective and unique approach in terms of the recordings she makes. As she grows more experienced she is definitely choosing more narrow niches. I do wish she recorded more of her performances. She is clearly an inspiration to young musicians and to the realm of classical music overall.

She is interesting to listen to as she is practicing:  0:)

https://www.youtube.com/v/t_vD0BJBHso

https://www.youtube.com/v/54_92amk5Go

[Mirror Image]

I certainly can only nod my head in agreement with you, Peter. She's an outstanding violinist. I hope she'll record the Nielsen Violin Concerto at some point as this photo with Herbert Blomstedt still has me salivating quite a bit:

[Moonfish]

I certainly can only nod my head in agreement with you, Peter. She's an outstanding violinist. I hope she'll record the Nielsen Violin Concerto at some point as this photo with Herbert Blomstedt still has me salivating quite a bit:

Hear! Hear! She is indeed outstanding!
I wonder why she has been so (relatively speaking) restrictive in terms of recordings? I think she has a lot to "say" with her interpretations and skills. Nielsen's VC is on your wish list? Perhaps we could petition her?   

[Mirror Image]

Hear! Hear! She is indeed outstanding!
I wonder why she has been so (relatively speaking) restrictive in terms of recordings? I think she has a lot to "say" with her interpretations and skills. Nielsen's VC is on your wish list? Perhaps we could petition her?   

I recall her performing Nielsen's VC more and more in recent years. I wouldn't say, however, that this concerto is without some already excellent performances (Frang, Znaider), but seeing how Hahn really turned me around to the Sibelius' VC, I have suspicion that she'll do the same for me in the Nielsen (even though I do already enjoy this work a lot).

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Has she recorded Bartók's violin concertos? I think that would be interesting to hear.

[Mirror Image]

Has she recorded Bartók's violin concertos? I think that would be interesting to hear.

She has not. In fact, she's performed one of Prokofiev's concerti, but hasn't ever recorded it. As Peter points out, I find that her discography doesn't quite live up to how immense her talent truly is (not to imply that she hasn't made some great recordings of course).

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

She has not. In fact, she's performed one of Prokofiev's concerti, but hasn't ever recorded it. As Peter points out, I find that her discography doesn't quite live up to how immense her talent truly is (not to imply that she hasn't made some great recordings of course).

My guess is that she isn't as interested in recording them until later in her career. Or perhaps she feels like live performances are much better for her than the recording studio.

[Mirror Image]

My guess is that she isn't as interested in recording them until later in her career. Or perhaps she feels like live performances are much better for her than the recording studio.

I'm not sure exactly what her goal is as I'm certainly not one who really should be questioning it as she's done incredibly well for herself. I just wish she recorded more often than she does.

[Moonfish]

I'm not sure exactly what her goal is as I'm certainly not one who really should be questioning it as she's done incredibly well for herself. I just wish she recorded more often than she does.

Agreed! She has been prominent for 20 years now and has a very low key discography. Sixteen albums since 1996 according to Wiki - I think it is 17 with her latest compilation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Hahn#Discography

Ah, I liked her Vieuxtemps 4 from 2015!!


This year she has released 'Retrospective' which is a selection of pieces of her past recordings with DG.
https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/us/album/hahn-retrospective

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