Hilary Hahn, the fastest violinist in the world

September 14, 2008 at 2:01 PM

I heard Hilary Hahn, the big Schoenberg promotor, 2 years ago in Rotterdam playing the Elgar violinconcerto.
I got an autograph on her Barber/Meyer violinconcerto cd.

The last 20 seconds of the 3th part of her Barber violinconcerto are so fast you can hardly can count the notes. In this video I try to express that with a lot of pictures in the end in a short time.

Here Hilary in a different role in a band. Rachel Barton the 2th:
Trail of Dead w/ Hillary Hahn in Moscow

She is also a professional singer, actress, professional violinist, comic, Marilyn Monroe imitator, Schoenbergpromotor, moviemaker. She is versatile and many-sided I think:

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on September 14, 2008 at 2:28 PM

I like how the pictures speed up at the end - very exciting to watch and listen to. :)

From Paul G.
Posted on September 14, 2008 at 5:33 PM

Interesting, The fastest violinist in the world was on a british tv show, It's on youtube somewhere... He was playing flight of the bumble bee, and played the whole thing in less than 1:20, and averaged 13 notes per second!

From Bram Heemskerk
Posted on September 14, 2008 at 6:27 PM

Here: David Garrett breaks violin world speed record
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHkX0URELfQ
It begins at 5.41 of the 8.02th minute video. I think that Hilary is faster in the end of Barber.
I think Hilary can play that piece the Bumbelbee faster and break the world record of David Garrett if she studies a lot on this piece.
OK Hilary go for it and win the battle of the sexes.

From Bram Heemskerk
Posted on September 14, 2008 at 7:04 PM

This one is even faster 1.03 in the flight of the bumble bee
The Bumble - Bee, Rimski Korsakoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3VmagAsIAk

Good old Mehunin also played the piece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjuBuw4KsqU

From Dian Zhang
Posted on September 14, 2008 at 8:28 PM

About the Bumblebee,

Heifetz would wipe the violin with this Garret character

From Charles C
Posted on September 15, 2008 at 12:04 AM

I have a pet theory that Hilary Hahn is from Alpha Centauri..

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on September 15, 2008 at 1:55 AM

Hahaha, I love that last video. :)

From Ray Randall
Posted on September 15, 2008 at 4:18 AM

It's the last few notes of the run up the fingerboard that impress me the most.