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The Weekend Vote

V.com weekend vote: Which violinist would you choose for your quartet in heaven?

December 9, 2012 at 11:15 PM

You arrive in heaven and (perhaps miraculously,) you are welcomed through the pearly gates. Because it is heaven, there is chamber music, and you also find your musical abilities to be greatly enhanced. You are given the chance to select another violinist to play in your heavenly string quartet. Of these famous late violinists, whom would you choose?

In case you need to read up on these guys:

Jascha Heifetz
Josef Gingold
Isaac Stern
Joseph Joachim
Oscar Shumsky

Also, feel free to name someone else in the comments below:


From steven su
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Boris Goldstein :)
From Terry Hsu
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:47 PM
I just think that Josef Gingold would probably be the most fun to hang out with. :)

But if I had my pick of anyone, I'd say Sandor Vegh.

From Francesca Rizzardi
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:50 PM
I chose Gingold and was really surprised to see that he's currently the top choice. All I really know about him is what Steinhart wrote in "Violin Dreams" but like Terry says, he sounds like a fun person to hang out with. Also, I think I'd learn a lot from him.
From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:48 PM
Where is David Oistrakh in this heaven? :) Gone for a walk?

Would be my choice!

From Ray Randall
Posted on December 9, 2012 at 11:58 PM
Mischa Elman.
From Simon Streuff
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 12:11 AM
Nathan Milstein... but I would let Oistrakh play first. I chose Gingold..
From Luis Morataya
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 12:16 AM
David Oistrakh!
From Mendy Smith
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 12:30 AM
Gingold! And I'd ask if he could pull in his buddy Primrose to play some viola quintets!
From Terry Hsu
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 12:47 AM
Oistrakh is an interesting choice too. You can't play music all the time in heaven and at least Oistrakh plays a little chess. :)

But I have a feeling that the ultimate fun guy to hang out with would be Fritz Kreisler.

But I'm also with Francesca that the one I feel like I could learn the most with would be Gingold...not that any of these guys are slouches!

From Marsha Weaver
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 2:24 AM
How could David Oistrakh have been left off the list??!!!
From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 2:59 AM
Terry, you're right... They aren't slaves of tyranic playing scedules anymore in heaven!

I like your idea of David Oistrakh playing Chess while Laurie made her list ;) Logical...

From Laurie Niles
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 3:38 AM
I had five slots! Well, I was bound to forget someone. Who else have I forgotten? :)
From Bryan Doherty
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 6:54 AM
Oistrakh and Einstein :)
From Gene Wie
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 8:19 AM
Julian Brodetsky.
From steven su
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 8:54 AM
Omg.....If we could have Kreisler + Elman, that would be dreamy. Just think about their sweet tender sound :) Actually, I heard Kreisler had a very large sound, larger than any other violinist. So hard to take my picks if I had to take tone quality and techniques into consideration :( *brain blows up*
From Vanessa Johan
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Jascha Heifetz of course! Today 25 years ago, the day he took his last breath.
R. I. P.



From Anne Horvath
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Shumsky on 1st.

Oistrakh can play vla.


From Terry Hsu
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Can you imagine what it might be like to play quartets with Sarasate and Paganini? Although I like the Kreisler / Elman pairing too Steven!
From Thessa Tang
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Paganini is disqualified. :) Heaven's quartet has no place for him - he might still want all the glory (of God, music & heaven) for his solo self.

I love your point about Oistrakh playing a bit of chess. Boy, he can play the viola, too. What a partner!

From Michael Pijoan
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 2:19 PM
I am not worthy to play with any of those guys but if Mr. Gingold would permit me to join his quartet I'd be truly honored. He was my teacher's stand partner so I've heard a lot about him.
From Terry Hsu
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 5:38 PM
Might need to go down to Hades for a brief visit to meet up with Paganini then. :)

I further petition, for all that is holy (smirk) that people start putting up a few more votes for Gingold!

I've always preferred Heifetz's solo work to his chamber music recordings. But I suppose if Heifetz asked me, I'd play with him. ;)

I remember Sandor Vegh saying in master classes that Ginette Neveu had one of the most beautiful sounds he'd ever heard. So I also want a turn playing some Brahms with Vegh and Ginette Neveu.

From Nate Robinson
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 9:10 PM
My teacher Erick Friedman, said while studying with Heifetz, he would regularly go over to Heifetz' house for chamber music evenings and read through quartets with Heifetz, Primose, and Piatigorsky!
From Adrian Di Stefano
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 9:21 PM
I'd be really upset if there was a heaven at all, but extremely upset if once there everybody had musical talent. All this work I'm doing now would be in vain, and I would not be nearly as satisfied with playing if I hadn't had to put in the work. If I got to heaven and was instantly good enough to play with any of these guys I'd never play again. That said my choice would be Menuhin, I think I would get along really well with him.
From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 10, 2012 at 10:26 PM
Adrian... I wish that if there is a 0,000000000000000000000001% chance that heaven exists, instant talent would be for anyone who knows violin and really loves it... the many people who couldn't care less about playing violin music on earh would choose other activities imho :) So you would still be special and the respect we all have for the greats would stay!

Very hypothetical and weird talk we have on this thread, no? But it's both fun and funny...

From Terry Hsu
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 12:28 AM
So Nate, who would you wish to play with, Heifetz I assume? Terry
From Corwin Slack
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 4:26 AM
My quartet would be Kreisler, Ysaye Thibaud and Casals with Kresler and Ysaye taking turns on viola. I understand that they played together.

From Corwin Slack
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 4:26 AM
My quartet would be Kreisler, Ysaye Thibaud and Casals with Kresler and Ysaye taking turns on viola. I understand that they played together.

From steven su
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 8:37 AM
I think the best solution is have a gathering of great violinists in Heaven so we don't miss anyone :) and too bad Paganini ain't up there.....Although I don't think he was really what people said he was
From LUIS CLAUDIO MANFIO
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 10:39 AM
David Oistrakh!
From Clark McCormick
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 1:20 PM
James Ehnes.
ps. In my heaven you don't have to be dead ;)

From Nate Robinson
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 2:48 PM
I don't think, I'd turn that down Terry!
From Emily Hogstad
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 5:44 PM
Marie Hall. Maud Powell. Rebecca Clarke. Beatrice Harrison. :)
From Charlie Gibbs
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 7:01 PM
Like many others, I chose Josef Gingold while thinking, "What about David Oistrakh?" I think I'd be too intimidated by Heifetz, but I'd love it if Nathan Milstein could join us. No doubt, though, he's busy playing some perfectly heavenly music somewhere else...
From Terry Hsu
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 8:37 PM
Emily, an amazing all woman quartet!
From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:17 AM
I would like so much Jacqueline Du Pré as the cellist... if we could chose all 4 members...
From Mark Roberts
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 4:48 PM
they all look like soloists rather than chamber music players, how about adolf busch? the links are to wiki - uck...
From Francesca Rizzardi
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 7:14 AM
If it's not too late, I'd like to hear from people who voted for Joachim. Of course I admire him greatly, but I would be intimidated by him.
From carlos majlis
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:55 AM
There was one; the quartet of the London Beethoven Society; Joachim, Ernst, Wieniawsky and Piatti.
From Laurie Niles
Posted on December 16, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Ah, but they all were chamber players as well!

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