Customer Reviews

Yehudi Menuhin: Violin of the Century

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When I saw that Bruno Monsaingeon had made this film, I took the risk and bought it off the shelf. Monsaingeon, who also made the excellent, Art of Violin film, has put the same kind of deep appreciation into this Menuhin work and, for that, I was not disappointed. The film is crafted into what the sleeve calls "... the form of a souvenir album, and it would be as if Menuhin himself was leafing through it for us, chapter by chapter". In fact, the documentary presents dozens of photos as it carries the story of his life forward along with approximately 40 different interludes of archival footage from 1932 on up through 1988. Interspersed is Menuhin himself talking to an off-camera interviewer discussing his life as a prodigy, musical development, family relationships, etc. Very candid and personal. Each archive clip runs about a few minutes apiece and includes solo work, sonata pieces with Hephzibah, concertos with Dorati, etc. A wide range from Schubert, Brahms, etc. to Bartok, Elgar, etc. on even to his work with Ravi Shankar and Stephane Grappelli. I was a little disappointed however in just a few things: 1> He didn't really discuss how he worked to overcome his technical difficulties he experienced in his later years 2> The "East meets West" footage with Ravi Shankar was rather murky 3> I would have enjoyed seeing a few other violinists (ala Art of the Violin) discussing Menuhin's life/work as well. Perhaps we can't always have it all, but this 129 minute DVD did deliver some real decent goods for 20-something bucks.

I don't know much about Yehudi Menuhin, other than what's presented on this DVD; but even if it were all fantasy, the DVD is supremely inspiring. We have a storybook tale of how hard work (and innate talent) can pay off, told, mostly, by the eloquent man, himself, in his 80s. He is wonderfully expressive, emotional, intellectual, and has obviously spent many, many an hour analyzing music, his own life, and the lives of people around him, allowing him to give us provocative insights that may even relate to our own lives (mine, anyway). Whether or not it's an accurate portrait of the man, I have no idea. But I find myself watching this beautifully done film over and over, for the excitement of the presentation, the gorgeous music, and, I must add, because it makes me feel good.

Is Menuhin the most polarizing violinist of 20th century? I could understand why some people find it hard to enjoy his playing, but still I was astonished to have read Michael's hostile commentary (Michael "Strings Researcher"). There is no denial that Menuhin's technical mastery had become increasingly shaky in his maturity, which inevitably interfered with his interpretation. But his musical sensitivity remained potent; his tone, to my ears at least, was forever golden and full of color. His personality, though at times seemed naive, was entirely pure, free of the ill thoughts and the grudges against other violinists that Michael and V. Stasov have imagined.

There are many riches in his recorded legacy: among them I particularly love his second mono cycle of Bach's sonatas and partitas from mid 1950s (J.S. Bach: Sonates & Partitas), for who else could have played (or even dare to play) these pieces with such fire, virility and grand Romantic gesture? His Bartok is legendary (Bartok: Violin Concertos, Viola Concerto, 6 Duo for 2 Violins, Violin Rhapsodies; Yehudi Menuhin). The viola concerto from the 1960s with Antal Dorati and New Philharmonic Orchestra is singularly soulful and penetrating, surpassing the readings of many a viola virtuoso. Menuhin also conducts with distinction. His Beethoven symphonies (recorded with Sinfonia Varsovia; Beethoven: The Symphonies (Box Set)) really bring out the humanity of this music, a feat lost to even a number of big names in the podium. It is true that Menuhin had bad days as a violinist. I am sure that he must had realized how embarrassing it was to play before public with failing standards. But I guess he had just the sort of American optimism and confidence which carried him through all this misfortune and hardship. He was, despite everything, tough, persistent and loving.

Menuhin the violinist was unfortunately flawed, but his music was nonetheless beautiful, true and moving. He was a unique, uncompromising artist, a great musician, revered by no other than the likes of Paul Tortelier, Glenn Gould and David Oistrakh himself.

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This documentary lovingly produced by Bruno Monsaingeon focused on Menuhin's career as a violinist. As already mentioned by other reviewers here, it did not directly address the technical/artistic crisis that Menuhin had suffered and survived. In the film, one learns about the artist's personal life and gets to hear (and watch) him playing along many great musical personalities (all very brief though), including Wilhelm Furtwangler, Ferenc Fricsay, Glenn Gould and Menuhin's sister Hephzibah, an underappreciated pianist. The program concluded with Menuhin's blazing rendition of Bach's chaconne.

I know that many fans of the violin will be put off by the subtitle, "The violin of the century". There were more than a handful of great violinists in the previous century. I will not give a list. I think that there is little question that Menuhin was an excellent musician. As evidenced by the clips there is no question that Menuhin was capable of some incredible music making. However,it would have been nice to have had more insight from him about his struggles with intonation and technique as he aged.The video is a fascinating look at the recollection and the memories of a fabulous musician.

Very good sound and remarkable performance. You can see what a great personality was Menuhin. Very interesting the history of music and country. All my friends came to me to watch this film. And everybody liked it. However, after this film I cannot listen some other violinists at Davies Hall. Nobody can be compared with Menuhin. it is really is voice of the century.
G.

Yehudi Menuhin is One of the great masters of the violin. This DVD gives you aural and visual insights into the individual and collective factors of his total persona.

If one looks at and listens carefully to this DVD and picks up the subliminal subtexts, one recognizes Menuhin for the ultimate wannabe that he was. A great child prodigy, his powers started to wane when he reached 16 years of age. Having fled from the USA to the UK and Switzerland to get away from the Heifetz phenomenon, Menuhin's seething under-he-surface rage and envy toward Heifetz resulted in an unseemly yet utterly revealing outburst on the DVD. As Menuhin played worse and worse - slow, out of tempo, unmusically, unimaginatively, with an ugly tone and out of tune - he began to label his playing as "spiritual". Its seems that the more spiritual his playing became in his head, the worse it sounded to his listeners! Menuhin became the big dabbler, the big wannabe. He wanted to be like the gypsies, like a Grappelli, an Enescu, a Shankar, a Kreisler, an Oistrakh, a guru, a yogi, a statesman, a philosopher, an educator, a conductor. He did become a random endorser of poor products and mediocre violinists, and the subject of numerous self-serving (auto-)biographies. All were failures that led to nothing, zero. He just became a totally self-absorbed, intolerably opiniated old man. He left a huge legacy of CD's and DVD's, most of which are unbearably bad and unlistenable, with a few very notable exceptions that painfully remind us of what could have been. No-one refers to him any more. He is forgotten, spiritually dead. An altogether sad story.