The Art of Violin (2001)

Itzhak Perlman, Ivry Gitlis, Ida Haendel and Hilary Hahn are among the commentators.

Very exciting and entertaining for any classical music fans

Most part of the film are black and white. Sound is pretty good. English, French, Spanish and Japanese subtitles are available. For some reason, may be his national pride, Monsaingeon's film always make a few people in the film speak French even they are fully capable of English so you have to turn on English subtitle.

The film, however, is less successful as history in that one does not get a real sense of how violin playing changed since the time of Vivaldi. Apart from a superficial mention of Paganini's revolutionary transformation of the violin's instrumental (i.e. technical) capabilities, little appreciation is paid to how dramatic Paganini's contribution to violin virtuosity actually was. Nor does the film really acknowledge the second revolution ushered in by Heifetz who single-handedly set the yet-unsurpassed standard for complete instrumental mastery against which all violinists are judged to this day and who introduced the modern school of violin playing which prizes complete technical command, cleanness of execution, and fidelity to the score. Heifetz and Kreisler represented antipodal destinies for the art of violin, and while there is great nostalgia and respect for the sweetly personalized approach of Kreisler, it is clear that Heifetz's legacy is the one which has carried forward into the 21st century. Nary a mention is made of this historic fact. In short, the film lacks a contextual backbone from which to assess each violinist and his or her contribution to the development of the art.

That said, the film is a treasure trove of archival footage which shows each of these great violin personalities at their best. Worthy of special mention is the Mendelsohnn montage at the beginning of the film wherein the entire first movement is heard through interspliced rare film footage and audio of Oistrakh, Stern, Milstein, Menuhin, Grumiaux, and Elman with each actually performing portions of the movement in a sort of tag-team fashion. Heifetz is also included in the montage, but since there is no film footage of him performing the Mendelsohnn, the director has ingeniously superimposed rare unrelated footage of the maestro in his studio and, in an astonishing sequence, in rehearsal at what appears to be the Hollywood Bowl during the 1930s over his famous 1959 commercial recording of the Mendelsohnn with Munch and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The entire montage is a masterstroke of concept and editing that was simply stunning to watch.

As for the commentary, particularly helpful is Perlman's contributions in that he explains just how daunting the mechanics of violin-playing can be and why it is rightly deemed to be the most difficult instrument to master. His impressions of several of the profiled fiddlers is quite colorful and illuminating, as well.

While some may consider it distasteful, watching a film like this begs the question of who was or is the best of them all. The director Bruno Monsaingeon's seemingly egalitarian sensibilities prevents him from either positing this question outright or directly answering it. It is quite clear, however, who his favorite violinist is: Menuhin. He is treated lovingly and with special respect throughout the film. Indeed, Menuhin bookends the documentary. So this is very much a personal film for Monsaingeon.

But all violin partisans have to acknowledge the singular figure of Heifetz who perfected every apsect of violin craft and infused his playing with a rugged and disciplined musicianship and sophisticated artistry. No other field of music has been so decisively dominated by one musician. No other performer has mastered his or her instrument so completely. No other artist has sustained his or her performance standards and musical integrity over so long a period of time and over so vast a repertoire. His unprecedented virtuosity only scratches at his importance to violin art - indeed, to all instrumental art. Yet, in the film, the Heifetz phenomenon is barely alluded to.

To suggest that Heifetz is merely one of many noted violinists is akin to saying that Michael Jordan is just another basketball player or that Einstein is merely a great physicist.

This may be the film's most glaring omission.

In general this DVD is worth the money. Nowhere else will you get several hours devoted to the violin greats of the 20th century. In this day of digital videos and recordings, we take for granted that everything from a child's first recital to a debut in Carnegie Hall will be captured in living color, with CD's cut for parents to listen to. But when you look back there are so few films of the greats such as Heifetz, Kreisler, none of Ysaye, and the sound, even when remastered or enhanced, cannot escape the submarine-like feel of the recording capabilities of the early 20th century. However when you see the virtuosity being demonstrated it is still incredible.

Itzhak Perlman and Hilary Hahn do a magnificant job of narrating. And since the film was shot shortly before Menuhin's death in 1999, and finished afterwards, it is fitting that the 20th century closed with Menuhin, and this film was kind of a tribute to Menuhin. However in no way was it all about Menuhin, many are covered, even Michael Rabin and Ginette Neveu whose careers were shortened due to tragedy.

With all the narrating by Perlman, I was only a little disappointed that they did not feature his playing. But I guess this leaves another DVD for the violin geniuses of today for later.