Who is the best composer of violin music?
2006-10-25 17:19:01 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
What a Question!
Kind of like asking, "Who builds the best buildings?" or "Who cooks the best food?" What kind of buildings? What kind of food? What kind of music?
Paganini wrote some incredible stuff. The flair and the virtuosity involved are incredible! Outstanding choice.
Walton sure ain't no slouch. Incredibly original stuff...I love the Heifetz recording of the Violin Concerto.
Beethoven's Concerto and sonatas are marvelous!
Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen may be one of the most played pieces in the world, in the repertoire of every major violinist. His Carmen Fantasie is wonderful, and he was held in such high regard that numerous pieces were dedicated to him (notably Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole).
Too ancient for you? What about Sibelius? I believe that it was Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg who said that she could play it every night for the rest of her life.
Mark O'Connor is a contemporary composer who many call the leader in alternative violin. His Double Concerto (which he plays with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg) has my ear right now, and his Fiddle Concerto is a delight.
Grappelli's jazz is wonderful.
Mark Wood does some wonderful stuff with rock n roll violin.
But push comes to shove I'm gonna fall back on Tchaikovsky. His Concerto in D may, in my opinion, be the most perfect violin concerto ever written. Although it received mixed reviews at its premiere (one critic accused the soloist of beating the violin black and blue!) it is an absolute standard in the modern repertoire. Incredible virtuosity required to play it well. Gorgeous themes! If you listen to it all the way through it almost tells a story. I can almost hear Tchaikovsky start with "Once upon a time..." as the concerto opens. Excitement. A little love story in the Canzonetta movement. And then a rough and tumble last movement. Ten years ago I heard Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg play it with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. When she finished there were tears running down my face. The emotion she put into the performance was wonderous to behold.
And now I'll really go out on a limb and tell you my favorite recording of it....Zino Francescatti, Thomas Schippers conducting the New York Philharmonic. If you can find it, seriously consider purchasing it! Perhaps Zino at his best!
But ask me tomorrow and I might give you another answer. Or at least rank them in a slightly different order.
2006-10-26 10:27:42 · answer #1 · answered by Art@violinstudent.com 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some think Paganini because of his technical ability but I rate the 20th century compositions - like Walton's Violin Concerto - higher.
2006-10-25 17:29:06 · answer #2 · answered by Bart S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A question that has been highly debated for centuries. Being a violinist myself I must say that I prefer Bach. He is certainly one of my favorites due to the themes that he hides within the partitas or even just stand-alone songs
The Bach Double Concerto, obviously being a duet, has themes overlapping between the two parts that I find beautiful. If I were to tell you to listen to something, it would be that.
2014-12-20 08:27:37 · answer #3 · answered by Akee 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good question....
2016-11-25 00:10:27 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋