Best Bazzini recording?

April 6, 2021, 9:06 AM · For me, Perlman I think

April 6, 2021, 10:40 AM · Heifetz is the guy they were all trying to beat.

April 6, 2021, 12:52 PM · My favorite will forever be Heifetz’s early acoustic recording. When he hits the highest note, the sound cuts out because the recording equipment couldn’t capture frequencies that high; however, no other recording of that piece has captivated me so completely.

April 6, 2021, 1:45 PM · It was Barzini all along.

April 6, 2021, 1:58 PM · The bullets sounded like Jascha's LH pizz.

April 6, 2021, 2:07 PM · I'm glad you brought that up because whenever anyone mentions LH pizz, I always say that it's 99% useless nonsense, and I defend my position by saying "not even Heifetz can actually make it sound good."

April 6, 2021, 2:09 PM · James Ehnes
https://youtu.be/TGXHM9yfQfA

April 6, 2021, 4:21 PM · Heifetz got closer than anyone to making LH pizz rhythmically correct.

April 6, 2021, 4:58 PM · Paul, it makes the kids happy.

April 6, 2021, 8:18 PM · Heifetz at 17 played La Ronde des Lutins cleaner than anybody in my opinion. Also, the same could be said about his monumental recording of the Paganini Moto Perpetuo. Francescatti’s rendition of Bazzini is excellent!

Edited: April 7, 2021, 12:24 PM · I just looked up Francescatti's a few days ago, in connection with this thread. Very lyrical and dramatic, although doesn't have quite the rhythmic precision of JH.

Nice also to have his playing on video-- you can see that his fingers are REALLY strong! Not something you think about when you just hear the recordings. Worth remembering that when someone asked Kreisler who was worthy in the younger generation (this was around 1960), he mentioned only Milstein and Francescatti. Who were both well out of their youth at that time.

And when we did exercises at summer camp on counting 7, it was either 'peanut butter and jelly' or 'Francescatti and Heifetz.' The former of that second duo seems to have fallen from view.

Edited: April 7, 2021, 2:32 PM · I'm fond of James Ehnes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY_R0xq-Q10

Very clean and gives an impression of effortlessness -- more so even than Heifetz, in my opinion. There used to be a video of this performance on Youtube, which I saw when I was maybe 14 and found myself filled with an inspiration to practice. Sadly that video and all of the others from that album have been taken down.

Also this one, by a very young Christian Li: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAuZM8hgq_I

I am blown away by not just his technical ability at such a young age, but also the maturity of his playing. There is such a delightful energy about it.

April 7, 2021, 4:51 PM · Greetings,
I agree with Nate about the Heifetz. Like him or hate him, the master had a unique ability to imperceptibly do rubato so thta the space between notes was somehow perfectly mathematically prop@ortioned. There is one linking passae with a ritardando? in the Bazzini which is so perfectly timed when I first heard it it was like punch in the gut. There are so many great performances of this work around (Menuhin especially) but I think all violinists should familiarize wthemaselves with the subtle level of artistry Heifetz displayed in these early recordings.
Cheers,
Buri

April 8, 2021, 1:35 AM · top four for me: Perlman--young Menuhin--Heifetz--Francescatti--evry order is good

April 9, 2021, 6:09 PM · Take a look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAuZM8hgq_I

April 9, 2021, 6:30 PM · Holy crap. I think I'd seen that before, but had forgotten how good it was.

Edited: April 10, 2021, 2:32 PM · I reckon the secret behind those youngsters making those stellar recordings of the Bazzini is that no one told them it is supposed to be difficult.

April 10, 2021, 2:19 PM · Difficult? Difficult? There's nothing difficult about Bazzini: It's spelled "B..A..Z..Z..I..N..I"

April 10, 2021, 2:38 PM · Oops! Thanks for the heads-up, Sander. Amendment inserted.