Ok, so for like the last decade or so I've been going on and on about how Hilary Hahn is the world's greatest violinist, probably the greatest talent of the last hundred years, and now Brett and Eddy show you exactly why:
I mean, there are other great violinists out there, even some whose performances of certain works I may like more than Hilary's. But for sheer all-around go-to excellence, no one is better, especially at voicing multiple melodic lines, so it sounds like there is more than one player. And when she is really on it her playing is truly transcendent.
Re: How good is she, really?
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2025 7:50 pm
by Burning Petard
OK no argument. But I quibble. There is Hahn, She is One, maybe even the GOAT, but there are thousands of lesser musicians out there holding fiddles under their chins and making sounds that end up on records of great orchestral music. Why do violins dominate orchestral music, at least it seems that way to me? I much prefer the sound of reeds or brass or even the bigger fiddle family, the cellos and bass. My dream string quartet would be Hahn and YoYo Ma and anybody else those two would find acceptable.
When I hear the oh-so-familiar sound of Vivaldi's 4 Seasons, I leave the room. Am I a musical philistine? The most honored composers seem to get the most of the stuff recorded when it is written for lots of violins, and most of the rest of the orchestra has supporting roles. Maybe JS Bach and his famous decendant PDQ Bach are noted exceptions. Perhaps that is why I love both of them. Who else has the sackbut as a featured solo instrument?
Why do violins dominate orchestral music, at least it seems that way to me? I much prefer the sound of reeds or brass or even the bigger fiddle family, the cellos and bass.
Well, historically winds, brass and especially percussion were relatively late additions to the orchestra as it evolved over the 17th and 18th Centuries. Early on and until the turn of the 18th Century the most popular instruments were viols (violas da gamba in treble, tenor and bass ranges), lutes and recorders. The "modern" violin, viola and cello weren't even invented until the mid-1500s, but they caught on relatively quickly, notwithstanding the fact that they were still undergoing substantial design modifications well into the 19th Century. And with the simultaneous development of moveable-type printing for publishing music, the availability and range of repertoire increased exponentially.
So from the Renaissance through the Baroque periods, where ensemble music could be supported it was primarily in the form of string "chamber orchestras," with the addition of winds and brass (and harpsichord) in the later years. Think of the varying instrumentation of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos; some have flutes/recorders, some have horns and double-reeds, and number 6 doesn't have any violins (or winds & brass) at all.
From my perspective, a lot of great orchestral music is rather heavy on winds and brass, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, as symphony orchestras got bigger and composers pushed the limits of what each section of the orchestra could do. Off the top of my head I'd put in that class the later Beethoven symphonies, Berlioz, Brahms, Mahler, Dvorak, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Bartok, and literally all the Americans. (We're doing American in Paris this season and it's practically all winds and brass, strings are mostly supporting parts.)
If you like cellos, there's a ton of repertoire, from Bach to Beethoven, Dvorak, Elgar, Lalo, and one concerto I recently came across and totally love by Unsuk Chin (it just sucks you in and before you know what's even happening you're on another planet; I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was coming next). Believe me, apart from violin, I listen to a lot of cello because there's comparatively little viola repertoire, and cello is the next closest thing.
Re: How good is she, really?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 11:33 am
by Burning Petard
Sue, You have led me into a techno world I have tried to avoid--streaming music. I have insisted on building a personal recorded music library within my personal computer. I have used only commercial cds as my source. I buy them , borrow from friends or library. Then I try to move the discs on to some other entity that will use them.
I have tried to get the cd for Unsuk Chin's cello concerto. The composition has high praise indeed from many sources. The Deutsche Gramaphon cd seems to be the only recorded version and it is also praised. I can only find it streamed from Presto Music. I must learn how to do it. I am kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I did purchase a recording of her opera Alice in Wonderland.
Re: How good is she, really?
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2025 1:19 pm
by Big RR
I'm worse BP, I still buy and keep CDs (and DVDs for that matter). I don't imagine I will ever change, but my latest car doesn't have a CD player , and I used to listen to my CDs in the car a lot. I do have a downloaded library, but it is not all that big.
And Sue, thanks for posting the link; she is superb.
Sue, You have led me into a techno world I have tried to avoid--streaming music. I have insisted on building a personal recorded music library within my personal computer. I have used only commercial cds as my source. I buy them , borrow from friends or library. Then I try to move the discs on to some other entity that will use them.
I'm worse BP, I still buy and keep CDs (and DVDs for that matter). I don't imagine I will ever change, but my latest car doesn't have a CD player , and I used to listen to my CDs in the car a lot. I do have a downloaded library, but it is not all that big.
As a young, one of my favorite things to do was go to the record store. I would hunt records in every store that sold them -- almost always finding something fun in the cut-out bin, at least. And when CDs displaced vinyl I continued to buy "albums" in the new format. But for less than the price of one record or CD a month I now have access to virtually anything I'd want to listen to on a streaming service, I can instantly sample artists/genres to see if I've got any further interest, I can listen wherever I go with just earbuds and my phone, I don't have to buy an entire LP/disc just because I liked one track and I don't have to find storage space for physical media. The world may be going to hell in a handbasket but I am a big fan of the technological advances in music recording and distribution.
Sue, You have led me into a techno world I have tried to avoid--streaming music. I have insisted on building a personal recorded music library within my personal computer. I have used only commercial cds as my source. I buy them , borrow from friends or library. Then I try to move the discs on to some other entity that will use them.
I'm worse BP, I still buy and keep CDs (and DVDs for that matter). I don't imagine I will ever change, but my latest car doesn't have a CD player , and I used to listen to my CDs in the car a lot. I do have a downloaded library, but it is not all that big.
As a young, one of my favorite things to do was go to the record store. I would hunt records in every store that sold them -- almost always finding something fun in the cut-out bin, at least. And when CDs displaced vinyl I continued to buy "albums" in the new format. But for less than the price of one record or CD a month I now have access to virtually anything I'd want to listen to on a streaming service, I can instantly sample artists/genres to see if I've got any further interest, I can listen wherever I go with just earbuds and my phone, I don't have to buy an entire LP/disc just because I liked one track and I don't have to find storage space for physical media. The world may be going to hell in a handbasket but I am a big fan of the technological advances in music recording and distribution.
I've been mulling over signing up for one because new vehicle doesn't have a CD player and with iTunes defunct I can't access my CDs that way anymore, either - and don't want to re-purchase my whole collection via digital download.
So, what service do you subscribe to that you like so much?
I've been mulling over signing up for one because new vehicle doesn't have a CD player and with iTunes defunct I can't access my CDs that way anymore, either - and don't want to re-purchase my whole collection via digital download.
So, what service do you subscribe to that you like so much?
I use Spotify, although I do have issues with some of their programming decisions (like the Joe Rogan podcast). But I find it easy to use and I don't think I have ever not found what I was looking for. I also use Youtube a lot for concert performances. I've got a Sirius XM subscription for radio purposes and I like a lot of their classical, jazz and Latin pop music programming. "Baroque and Beyond" and "Living American" are two of my favorite shows on Symphony Hall, and "Miller Time" with Marcus Miller on Real Jazz is great.
Re: How good is she, really?
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 1:39 pm
by Big RR
One of my daughters gave me an Alexa speaker a number of years back and I ended up subscribing to Amazon music; I can pretty much find what i am looking for, but it is a bit sparse on entire albums, classical or popular. I also do have Sirius XM music only subscription for my car, and they have a lot of non-broadcast download "stations" that can also be accessed online or on my ALexa.
But, being a luddite, i still like CDs. Face it, we've run the gamut, changing from a time when we had free TV and radio (well paid for by commercials) and unlimited listening opportunities when you bought the music) to having to pay for the rest of your life to watch TV or listen to music--even music you pay for an download require that you pay for the access to the cloud. In some way things are lot better and you can access much more than you ever could, but there is a cost that's only going to go up.
Re: How good is she, really?
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 3:16 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
My 21.5 hours of Leonard Cohen are on my laptop which requires nothing other than electricity to work. The other 400 hours of stuff are on there too. I understand my phone can store my music and I can play it through the nifty Corolla screeny/soundy thing or even play downloaded audio books from Libby. I just haven't bothered because the only thing worth listening to in the car is NPR
My 21.5 hours of Leonard Cohen are on my laptop which requires nothing other than electricity to work. The other 400 hours of stuff are on there too. I understand my phone can store my music and I can play it through the nifty Corolla screeny/soundy thing or even play downloaded audio books from Libby. I just haven't bothered because the only thing worth listening to in the car is NPR
I do tend to listen to a lot of NPR back and forth to work, but some days I really need a break from the news from dystopia USA.