Incredible film biography of Yehudi Menuhin

December 5, 2022, 1:39 AM · thank you.the young Menuhin is the violinist i prefer over all

December 6, 2022, 5:27 AM · Thank you Sander - very interesting. An element that seems to be missing from the adjacent discussion of US versus UK violinist training is that Menuhin wasn't 'started' but asked to play the violin and showed great commitment himself, from an early age. Evidently, you cannot produce a performing prodigy just by an early Suzuki start. Also of note is that his parents seem to have not exactly neglected, but taken a laissez-faire approach to the talented daughters, in an echo of Mozart's parents. I particularly like the Kreutzer/Bridgetower recording with Hephzibah and Yehudi.

Edited: December 6, 2022, 6:23 PM · Definitely worth watching, I stumbled upon it sometime in the past few years.
Also there are a couple of informative written biographies I added to my Kindle during COVID:
Unfinished Journey: Twenty Years Later, by Menuhin, Yehudi,
AND
The Menuhins: A Family Odyssey, by Rolfe, Lionel

The first book is an expansion of his original autobiography "Unfinished Journey." The second book was (I guess I would say) "unexpected."

He was especially noted for youthful amazing performances of the Beethoven violin concerto. In fact that was the music he played into the soundtrack of a "biographical" movie about Paganini. I guess he never got over it because, unfortunately, he made the mistake, in his much later years, of televising a performance of that concerto that I, unfortunately, watched. Thus are illusions weakened.

He clearly was a remarkable human being.

December 6, 2022, 7:57 AM · Menuhin has always been my favorite violinist.

Edited: December 6, 2022, 6:41 PM · As I have mentioned, I heard him once in concert, in Chicago, in the 1950's, playing the Bartok Concerto (with Fritz Reiner conducting the CSO). Yes, it was more the elder than the younger Menuhin, but he had that unique sound and emotional voice. I'll never forget it. In fact (as I have also mentioned before) that particular performance was professionally recorded and published on a CD. The only disappointment is that in the audience applause I cannot hear my cheering and comments.

Would that Paganini have written an "Unfinished Journey." And, by the way, I believe that "Unfinished Journey" is the greatest title of any autobiography ever written.

December 7, 2022, 11:37 AM · The Unfinished Journey is worth reading.
Menuhin was blessed to have been brought up (it would appear) as the filling in a love sandwich - both parents and both sisters loved him.
His first violin was 1/4 size and cost as much as the family car.