Is he that interesting or is this scraping the barrel? He seems to be held in some affection in Britain, but he is rarely mentioned alongside Oistrakh, Heifetz and co. on forums such as this.
(http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/810/15025923.jpg)
Yehudi Menuhin: The Great EMI Recordings (http://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/74181/Yehudi_Menuhin:_The_Great_EMI_Recordings.htm)
Haven't you heard him? I have a few recordings and enjoy them. But, then, I can't always tell who's "best". I leave that to others.
Menuhin was a child prodigy and, as such, gave us some recordings that exhibit why people once gushed over him: items with his mentor Enescu come to mind. His early performance of the Elgar violin concerto is also quite fine. These definitely should be heard but are very old, so don't expect much sonically. In his much later days, he did some interesting collaborations with sitar master Ravi Shankar and other Asian musicians, and some of these are worth exploring IMO.
In between, he had a long career in front of classical audiences, and some of his recordings--the Beethoven & Mendelssohn violin concerti with Furtwangler, for instance--always stay in print and get lots of critical attention and acclaim. I've never been that wowed, honestly, preferring Schneiderhan if I want to hear Furt conducting the Beethoven, for example. When he got older and into the hi-fi/stereo eras, Menuhin's tone--at least as represented on the recordings I've heard--seemed to tend enough toward the shrill and/or metallic that I find myself less than happy listening to them. Perhaps I've just heard bad examples, and if so I will happily hunt down recommendations by violin mavens who post here. But there's not a whole lot of chance that I'll be buying the big box any time soon.
Except for the examples I noted above, other violinists, historic and later--Heifetz, Oistrakh, Kreisler, Neveu, Milstein, Grumiaux, Francescatti, Szigeti, Enescu, Elman, Rabin, the younger Szeryng, Adolf Busch, Martzy, Stern...they all pretty much grab more of my attention than Menuhin.
But hey, that's just me.
Dirk
Quote from: Mn Dave on February 27, 2009, 10:14:21 AM
Haven't you heard him? I have a few recordings and enjoy them. But, then, I can't always tell who's "best". I leave that to others.
My reservations are described quite well by Dirk (thanks for that great write-up, btw!). I have heard his Mendelssohn and Beethoven, although later recordings, I think. They were pleasant, and played with great virtuosity, but there was also a feeling of routine about the performances.
I'd go for his earlier stuff (if anything at all). I have a recording of him and his sister performing a couple LvB violin sonatas that is very good.
Quote from: Lethe on February 27, 2009, 10:11:44 AM
Is he that interesting or is this scraping the barrel? He seems to be held in some affection in Britain, but he is rarely mentioned alongside Oistrakh, Heifetz and co. on forums such as this.
(http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/810/15025923.jpg)
Yehudi Menuhin: The Great EMI Recordings (http://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/74181/Yehudi_Menuhin:_The_Great_EMI_Recordings.htm)
I think very highly of Menuhin. The EMI sounds like a great deal for those who want big boxes.
Quote from: Lethe on February 27, 2009, 10:11:44 AM
Is he that interesting or is this scraping the barrel? He seems to be held in some affection in Britain, but he is rarely mentioned alongside Oistrakh, Heifetz and co. on forums such as this.
(http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/810/15025923.jpg)
Yehudi Menuhin: The Great EMI Recordings (http://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/74181/Yehudi_Menuhin:_The_Great_EMI_Recordings.htm)
If it was really limited to the "great" EMI recordings it would fit in a 2-fer.
This one I am tempted by, though very pricey.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AsBf5QbvL._SS500_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Studio-Recordings-1956-1986/dp/B001DUKI1W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1235771682&sr=8-1
I like these:
(http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2002/Aug02/Schumann_Dvorak_Violin_Menuhin_Naxos.jpg)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51efOMtAChL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Quote from: nut-job on February 27, 2009, 12:56:59 PM
This one I am tempted by, though very pricey.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AsBf5QbvL._SS500_.jpg)
Own it, love it.