Who plays your best Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor

[OneSec]

So, who play your best Mendelssohn? I'm trying to get some input here and see if I can get more recommendation on this piece I have listen to a couple version and here's my preference:
 
David Oistrakh - It's a more direct playing, neither as colourful as Vengerov, nor Mutter, but at a very fast paste, emotional intensity and AUTHORITHY - in fact this version has the worst SQ, but moved me the most. The soloist seems to have all the parts well thought of, playing royal to the composer, as a result, it keep one if the best synergy with Orchestra, and passage - other soloist tend to 'show off' and lost the synergy at times. I know authority sounds weird with this violin concerto but it seems to work for Oistrakh
 
Maxim Vengerov - Actually it's a hard call between Vengerov and Oistrakh for me - probably I was bias
 
Anne-Sophie Mutter
 
Jascha Heifetz - Its a matter of taste, again preference.
 
Sarah Chong from You tube
 
Frank Peter Zimmermann
 
Joshua Bell.
 
I probably hear more than these, but some of them are so old - cassette / or my dad's vinyl collection so I have excluded them. I'm quite sure I heard Isaac Stern on Vinyl, but I dont remember the playing now
 
So, how about you?

 

[Lex2]

Heifetz's '58 recording in an old favourite. But I've been listening to Daniel Hope's DG recording a lot lately, based on Mendelssohn's original score of 1844. ("Urtext"). If you like your Mendelssohn raw and unashamedly Romantic get Hope's recording.

 

[rroseperry]

I've got Mutter with Masur and Hahn with Wolf, and probably prefer Hahn, by a narrow margin.

 

[pigmode]

I have Heifetz and Hahn. While for a few other concertos I prefer Hahn's fresh and *feminine* approach, I haven't quite decided on this one. Feminine is probably not the right term, but by that I mean mostly her tone.

 

[OneSec]

I only listen to 1st Movement for Hahn, cause The Essentials for her only includes the first moment I dont think I can make a fair comparison, but from 1st movement itself yeah I definately found her playing is more "fluid" - or more feminine as you referred?
 
Technically flawless, good flow of playing, and I agree to pigmode, rroseperry, its gets as good as Mutter / Heiftetz on its own areas, but probably is still up to individual preference.
 
Thanks folks for your input and I'm looking towards into more inputs!
 
 
 
P.S.1: Hahn's playing on Bach on the same album is a gem
 
P.S.2: I prefer toward "manly" play Mutter can play more man than man at times I hope she is not on this forum LOL.
 

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

I only listen to 1st Movement for Hahn, cause The Essentials for her only includes the first moment I dont think I can make a fair comparison, but from 1st movement itself yeah I definately found her playing is more "fluid" - or more feminine as you referred?
 
 
 
 
 
P.S.1: Hahn's playing on Bach on the same album is a gem
 
P.S.2: I prefer toward "manly" play Mutter can play more man than man at times I hope she is not on this forum LOL.
 

 
I regret using the term feminine and used it to describe her tone, which is a bit more "light" in her earlier performances than what many listeners are used to.
 
By Hahn on Bach, do you mean the concertos? Her tempi in #1 and #2 are much faster than what I'm used to, I find it absolutely brilliant. 

 

[OneSec]

Those Bach pieces coming along with the album were composition for violin solo.
 
Partita No.3 in E - Preludio
Partita No. 2 in D minor V. Chaconne
 

 

[rroseperry]

Her Bach work is pretty stellar. I got to see her a few years ago here in SF.

 

[pigmode]

 Excellent.
 
She performed # 2 in Honolulu about 10 years ago. I know there's a great deal of criticism of her style, or even lack of it (too paper perfect, they say). Otoh I often find the expressionism of many of the old masters, to be a bit too overwrought these days. With the Bach concertos I admire the freshness and vivacity of her tone and style.