Yehudi Menuhin
With the passing of violinist Yehudi Menuhin at the age of 82 on March 12, 1999, the world lost one of its truly gifted musicians. Primarily associated with classical music, Menuhin consistently sought diverse forums for his virtuosic playing. His collaboration with Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar resulted in two groundbreaking albums -- East Meets West and In Celebration, while his pairing with French violinist Stephane Grappelli yielded four classic albums: Play Berlin, Kern, Porter & Rodgers & Hart, Play Gershwin, Play "Jalousie" and Other Great Standards, and Tea for Two. According to classical violinist Isaac Stern, Menuhin was "an extraordinary musician and a great humanitarian. His style of playing, particularly in his early years, was a stunning patrician elegance with a very natural musical line."
Menuhin displayed a talent for music at a very young age. Starting to play the violin at the age of four, he made his professional debut with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra three years later. His performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto at Carnegie Hall, in 1927, sparked international acclaim. Menuhin's debut album, recorded at the age of 16, received the prestigious Prix du Disque in France.
The oldest child of Russian-Jewish immigrants Moshe and Marutha Menuhin, Menuhin was still a baby when he moved with his family to San Francisco. A student of Louis Persinger, concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Menuhin advanced quickly on the violin. When Persinger moved to New York in 1925, Menuhin and his family followed.
Shortly afterwards, a wealthy attorney funded Menuhin's first trip to Europe. Although he failed to impress Belgian violinist and composer Eugene Ysaye, Menuhin was accepted as a student by Romanian violinist and composer Georges Enesco. He continued to study under Enesco until returning to the United States in 1927. Menuhin continued to attract attention throughout his teens. He recorded Elgar's Violin Concerto with the composer conducting and inspired Béla Bartók to compose his second Violin Concerto for him.
Despite his fame, Menuhin left the concert stage at the age of 19 and spent two years studying violin technique at his family's estate in Los Gatos, CA.
Upon his return, Menuhin picked up where he had left off. During World War II, he performed hundreds of concerts at military bases and hospitals. With the breakup of his marriage to Nola Nicholas, however, he found that he was losing his ability to play the violin. A relationship and eventual marriage with ballet dancer and actress Diana Gould provided the confidence necessary for regaining his skills.
In the aftermath of the war's end, Menuhin performed several historic concerts in Europe. In addition to joining with composer and conductor Benjamin Britten for a trip to Poland in 1947, which included a performance for survivors of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, he became the first Jewish musician to perform in Germany since before the war. He collaborated with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Wilhelm Furtwangler. For the next four decades, Menuhin remained one of classical music's most influential musicians. Moving to England in 1985, he became a member of the House of Lords in 1993. He later relocated to Switzerland. He continued to be revered, however, in the United States. President Reagan bestowed a Kennedy Center honor upon him in 1986. Throughout his life, Menuhin balanced his musical career with involvement in philanthropic causes, founding an estimated five hundred charitable organizations. In 1962, he opened a boarding school in Stoke D'Abergnon for musically gifted children. He later opened a similar school in Gstaad, Switzerland.
© Craig Harris /TiVo
-
Casals Festivals at Prades, Vol. 2 (1953-1962)
Klassiek - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on 6 sep. 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schubert : String Quintet & Octet
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 22 jan. 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven : Romances - Concerto pour violon
Yehudi Menuhin, Otto Klemperer, Sir John Pritchard
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jul. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms : String Sextets Nos 1 & 2
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 22 jan. 2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Orchestral Suites & Other Concertos
Bath Festival Orchestra, Yehudi Menuhin
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 8 mrt. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61
Yehudi Menuhin, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Orchestre du festival de Lucerne
Klassiek - Released by Calliope on 1 jan. 2015
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Sonates et partitas pour violon seul
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms : Danses hongroises - Schumann : Concerto pour violon en ré mineur
Klassiek - Released by Puzzle Productions on 23 sep. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concerto pour violon n° 2 - Sonate pour violon seul
Yehudi Menuhin, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 jan. 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Symphony 40 - Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Yehudi Menuhin, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Naxos on 16 mei 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Sonates pour piano Nos. 5 "Le printemps" & 6 (Mono Version)
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Paganini: Concertos pour violon Nos. 1 & 2 (Mono Version)
Yehudi Menuhin, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alberto Erede
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorak : Cello Concerto/Brahms : Double Concerto
Paul Tortelier, Yehudi Menuhin, Paavo Berglund, André Previn
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 15 jan. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sonates & Partitas pour violon seul
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 1 mei 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bach: Violin Concertos, BWV 1041 - 1043 (Mono Version)
Yehudi Menuhin, Christian Ferras, Robert Masters Chamber Orchestra
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
MOZART: VIOLIN CONCERTO No.3, No.4, No.7
Klassiek - Released by Nar Classical on 23 mrt. 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms & Mendelssohn: Violin Concertos
Ulf Hoelscher, Klaus Tennstedt, Yehudi Menuhin, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 28 feb. 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vieuxtemps: Concerto pour violon No. 4 (Mono Version)
Yehudi Menuhin, Walter Susskind, Philharmonia Orchestra
Divers - Released by BNF Collection on 1 jan. 1953
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Nielsen: Concerto For Violin & Orchestra, Op. 33
Klassiek - Released by Warner Classics on 22 apr. 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Paganini: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2
Yehudi Menuhin, Alberto Erede, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by >ReNovo< on 18 aug. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Yehudi Menuhin. Anniversary Edition (Live)
Klassiek - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on 26 sep. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo