Top 10 Historical Soloists - your vote

[Rue]

1. Kreisler (4 votes)

2. Paganini (4)

3. Heifetz (4)

4. Milstein (3)

5. Menuhin (4)

6. Oistrakh (3)

7. Thibaud

8. Grumiaux 

9. David

10. Joachim

11. Fodor

12. Szeryng (2)

13. Ysaye (3)

12. Elman

13. Vivaldi (2)

14. Szigeti 

15. Zimbalist

16. Rabin (2)

17. Mozart

[Carl Stross]

Leopold Mozart.  IMHO, through his written works and his progeny he left us more than any other violinist one could name. 

 

Yes, but what about HIS daddy ?????? He left us Leopold and.......  Now, that I'm thinkin' , what about his daddy's daddy ?

[Rue]

No!  No names of vague relatives that have no known names! I draw a line there! 

[ctanzio]

One person whose recordings I never tire of listening to is Oscar Shumsky. That is my vote.

If you are unfamiliar with him, please take some time to dig up recordings on youtube, especially his interpretations of the Kreisler works.

[Swing Monkey 1]

All of the above violinist are indeed worthy,  however if they all played the same work, how many people could tell who was who?   Heifetz stood apart with his own sound.

 

I think Stephane Grappelli should be considered due to his creativity, uniqueness, and being instantly recognizable.  Even Menuhin admired his talent.

[Rue]

1. Kreisler (4 votes)

2. Paganini (4)

3. Heifetz (4)

4. Milstein (3)

5. Menuhin (4)

6. Oistrakh (3)

7. Thibaud

8. Grumiaux 

9. David

10. Joachim

11. Fodor

12. Szeryng (2)

13. Ysaye (3)

12. Elman

13. Vivaldi (2)

14. Szigeti 

15. Zimbalist

16. Rabin (2)

17. Mozart

18. Shumsky

19. Grappelli

[Ron MacDonald]

The list is growing longer but I think it should also include Campoli, Ricci and Francescatti.

[Rue]

1. Kreisler (4 votes)

2. Paganini (4)

3. Heifetz (4)

4. Milstein (3)

5. Menuhin (4)

6. Oistrakh (3)

7. Thibaud

8. Grumiaux 

9. David

10. Joachim

11. Fodor

12. Szeryng (2)

13. Ysaye (3)

12. Elman

13. Vivaldi (2)

14. Szigeti 

15. Zimbalist

16. Rabin (2)

17. Mozart

18. Shumsky

19. Grappelli

20. Campoli

21. Ricci

22. Francescatti.

[Rue]

Again, this shouldn't be a list of every good historical violinist, just a fun attempt to select the Top 10.

[The Violin Beautiful]

I'll add a vote for Kreisler.

[Violadamore]

While Kreisler was extremely impressive on several levels, he already got a bagful of votes.  I'm modifying my Mozart vote to one for Leopold, as a well-respected player and influential violin educator as well as one for Wolfgang, as the prototype of a touring violin prodigy, before he was known as a composer.  IMHO, both should be on any top-ten list.

[Bill Merkel]

^If we're going to take it that far afield, Bach obviously played the violin.  And Tartini or somebody was the grandaddy of everyone.

 

Let's try to limit it to top ten you have actually heard...  That way the #1 won't be a proto-ape plucking a Tarzan vine.  Or some microbe.

[Rue]

1. Kreisler (5 votes)

2. Paganini (4)

3. Heifetz (4)

4. Milstein (3)

5. Menuhin (4)

6. Oistrakh (3)

7. Thibaud

8. Grumiaux 

9. David

10. Joachim

11. Fodor

12. Szeryng (2)

13. Ysaye (3)

12. Elman

13. Vivaldi (2)

14. Szigeti 

15. Zimbalist

16. Rabin (2)

17. Mozart, W.

18. Mozart, L.

19. Shumsky

20. Grappelli

21. Campoli

22. Ricci

23. Francescatti.

[Rue]

...

9. David

...

 

In no particular order.

 

Stephen, David who?  I don't know any with the last name of David.

[Violadamore]

..............the #1 won't be a proto-ape plucking a Tarzan vine.  Or some microbe.

No fear, you won't make either list.   

[Violadamore]

1....................

9. David..................

No, I've seen his statue.  He didn't have a violin. 

[Will L]

One person whose recordings I never tire of listening to is Oscar Shumsky. That is my vote.

If you are unfamiliar with him, please take some time to dig up recordings on youtube, especially his interpretations of the Kreisler works.

YESSS!

 

Perhaps we should start a list of top 10 "unsung heroes" and certainly Shumsky would make that list.

[Rue]

1. Kreisler (5 votes)

2. Paganini (4)

3. Heifetz (4)

4. Milstein (3)

5. Menuhin (4)

6. Oistrakh (3)

7. Thibaud

8. Grumiaux 

9. David

10. Joachim

11. Fodor

12. Szeryng (2)

13. Ysaye (3)

12. Elman

13. Vivaldi (2)

14. Szigeti 

15. Zimbalist

16. Rabin (2)

17. Mozart, W.

18. Mozart, L.

19. Shumsky (2)

20. Grappelli

21. Campoli

22. Ricci

23. Francescatti.

[DGV]

Tartini

Corelli

Vieuxtemps

Rode

Kreutzer

Dont

Dancla

Wienawski

[DGV]

Bull, Massart, Locatelli, Auer

[Violadamore]

I'd go for Kreutzer and Ole Bull as well.  

[Bill Merkel]

 

1. Kreisler (5 votes)

2. Paganini (4)

3. Heifetz (4)

4. Milstein (3)

5. Menuhin (4)

6. Oistrakh (3)

7. Thibaud

8. Grumiaux 

9. David

10. Joachim

11. Fodor

12. Szeryng (2)

13. Ysaye (3)

12. Elman

13. Vivaldi (2)

14. Szigeti 

15. Zimbalist

16. Rabin (2)

17. Mozart, W.

18. Mozart, L.

19. Shumsky (2)

20. Grappelli

21. Campoli

22. Ricci

23. Francescatti.

 

 

I don't see proto-ape plucking a Tarzan vine on there.

[crazy jane]

Ten? How are we to do this, when we haven't heard most of them?

 

But in keeping with the last few posts, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, De Beriot, Rode . . . Ernst, Bazzini

[Rue]

LOL...no, you are only supposed to put in one vote for the one you think is worthy of being in the Top Ten...

 

But I have been very lax in my adherence to my own rules...

[Rue]

Tartini Corelli Vieuxtemps Rode Kreutzer Dont Dancla Wienawski

 

 

Bull, Massart, Locatelli, Auer

 

 

I'd go for Kreutzer and Ole Bull as well.  

 

 

Ten? How are we to do this, when we haven't heard most of them?

 

But in keeping with the last few posts, Vieuxtemps, Wieniawski, De Beriot, Rode . . . Ernst, Bazzini

 

Did you all want to rethink your entries?  This wasn't supposed to be a list of every conceivable violinist that ever existed.  I will accept up your top 3 worthy candidates if that helps you make a (smaller) decision.