Sibelius SHOWDOWN 🎻 ft. Sarah Chang, Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell & Vengerov 

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Vengerov doesn't even need a first name

Sarah Chang's performance is my absolute favorite. Her artistic expression and sense of urgency always keeps me wanting for more.

Hilary Hahn performed the Sibelius concerto last year with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The Finnish audience was enchanted and gave her standing ovation. I was there and the concerto was almost reborn by her, with unique details she brought out differently from all other violinists. Most of us Finns in the audience knew the concerto thoroughly even though all are not violinists, having heard it tens of times, as many follow the Sibelius violin competition every time and all finalists must perform it. Yet she was able to astonish us. She was just perfect; even better than in this older recording.

I just love how Ray Chen doesn't says like "oh this performance is way better than the other", he is just showing how each violinist is playing there, the techniques and giving his opinion.

Happy 2024 everyone! Thanks for all your support throughout the last year 🙏🏼🎊 One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to be able to continue uploading videos and practice on Tonic on a weekly basis. I’m looking forward to having you there with me 👍🏼

Vengerov's Sibelius is literally what kept me alive some years ago. I'm really happy you are reviewing it

Sarah Chang’s is my favorite performance of the Sibelius violin concerto! She makes her violin SING. She is a storyteller, her playing takes you on a spectacular journey through all of the emotions that Sibelius felt when he composed this masterpiece. She’s absolutely magnificent.

Sarah Chang's performance was the first time I heard the Sibelius concerto years ago. Still one of my favorites. There is such an air of tension right from the start, she's a true performer. Even if the opening isn't as cold or snowy as the other interpretations, I love that I can feel this electricity in the air even watching through a screen.

I've seen Hilary Hahn concert like 50 times. She truly is a living legend playing the violin.

I think mentioning the year of recording might be significant. Both Hahn and Vengerov have changed their performances significantly over the years.

Chang's my favorite. Vengerov is also excellent. Hahn and Bell do not hook me.

Sarah Chang has been my violin idol since I was a child ❤

Sarah Chang so beautiful sound...

When it comes to Sibelius Violin Concerto, Sarah Chang and Maxim Vengerov are the best for my taste. I can literally listen to their performances over and over, but not for the other two.

Could you do this more? I really struggle to see these things in classical music. Vengerov did a masterclass over at Two Set where he explained the emotions and colours of a piece and that was also really helpful. I sometimes feel I am ‘blind’ when it comes to purely instrumental music. To me it is either pretty or not pretty, and I would love to get more nuances!

My favourite is Red Dress Hilary, and Hilary in 2010 in what I like to call the “Mermaid Dress”, performed with NZSO. I love her so much 😍

I think Ray explained why I always like Hilary’s third movements. Hilary’s just so good at maintaining clarity and an almost giddy excitement when playing quickly.

I like Sarah Chang and Vengerov. They are way different from the other two violinists. Different levels. My favorite one is Kyung Wha Chung’s Sibelius. It is legendary.

The Hilary Hahn red dress recording is my fav 😍

Am a huge fan of Hilary Hahn and was at her concert last Jan in NJ. It was truly amazing but still Sarah Chang's Sibelius is my favorite. It sounds more alive and takes me far into the music. And I like the Sibelius that way.

Sarah Chang is a legend

I love listening to the violin soloists of the previous era such as David Oistrakh and Jascha Heifetz. I would love to hear you juxtapose their playing with today's contemporary soloists. This will help the younger players learn from them as well as to appreciate their skill.

As a Finn, I think to play Sibelius well, you have to get into the Finnish state of mind. It's a serene and stoic concerto, and it can't be played in an overly romantic style like Tchaikovsky. It requires a held back interpretation. I've heard so many interpretations that are too agressive, too romantic and use too much vibrato. It completely shatters the fragile vail of serenity surrounding the piece.

Vengerov's performance was my fav. I would also love to see a comparison between contemporary violinists and golden age violinists - Oistrack, Heifetz, Stern.

Sarah Chang is definitely the best for Sibelius on RU-vid; It's pure music and enjoyable to listen to everyday.

I love how you break down the different strategies of the performers playing these peaces so that even us laymen can appreciate the differences. Its subtle and most of us would not notice on our own.

Sarah Chang is the best

Not ashamed to say that Rays version is my favourite. I actually cried watching you perform this live 🙏

For me, I think the inspiration for the concerto is so important, where Sibelius was grieving his failed violin career. It can feel like a lot of world class artists get hung up on the fact that this is a challenging piece and thus want to play it in a more (showy?) Virtuositic way and for me Chang and Bielman and the two players that somehow capture that sense of struggle, reverence and mourning while still playing incredibly well and that is more important to me than some of the other mindblowingly technically impressive performances.

Ray, I think you're great. You're honest but incredibly respectful of your colleagues. When you play it always looks like you're having the time of your life!

When Sibelius Violin Concerto is played in a certain way, it reminds me of walking in a nordic winter landscape - freezing cold yet calm and extremely beautiful. The Sarah Chang version took me by surprise, because suddenly I felt transported to east Asia or Spain, which is very far from the winter cold Oslo (Norway), where I live. For me Hillary Hahn and Vengerov in different ways got that nordic winter feel just right, so they were my favorites.

Ya… music is about sharing not bringing down who is not really good. Every musician has their own unique way expressing themselves in music. I had learned something new whenever Ray shared the thought of different musicians how they play the piece. Thank you, Ray.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, or at least a similar analysis from somebody, on the 3rd movement. Sarah Chang reigns supreme for me on the whole piece, while Hilary Hahn’s interpretation is really hard for me to listen to precisely because of her (as you perfectly described it!) syrupy, connected, precise style. It’s just such a mismatch for this piece, but perfect for others (like, say, the Barber). Thanks for this!

Sarah Chang's Sibelius Violin concerto is the best Sibelius violin Concerto ever came into existence, ever performed so well, ever played so well, ever conducted so well and the best you might hear in this world in this life.

I LOVE these comparison videos, Ray! I'm always surprised by my reactions - it's usually the opposite of what I expected. Sarah Chang nailed this one for me, though Vengerov - as usual - has the most gorgeous tone IMHO. I too would love to see more with earlier generations of virtuosi included, though often you would have to settle for studio sound recordings.

Know little to nothing about music, but boy I enjoyed how totally different emotions each performance aroused. Hilary was like telling story, almost like movie, but same time sounding like ancient common knowledge based "ritual" or something, last one almost gave migraine. Not because it would of been bad, quite contrary , it felt like ultra hifi technicolor , with so much more color and details, like Attenborough's nature documentaries, that it was just too much to try to take , all at once. I really love the world that music can open . Channels like this are really important, so I and other people can learn and continue, how to kept in touch to our inner selves

Love Sara Chang ❤❤

Vengerov’s sounds like a prayer. He has a minimalist, even dynamic in the first theme, and it works so well! Very passionate. But I’ve been a huge Chang fan ever since I was a teenager, and she never ceases to amaze me. I don’t like to watch her (she’s absolutely GORGEOUS, and I simply don’t want to be distracted by that,) so I’ll generally opt for a blind listen, but she ALWAYS plays to my taste. She has the dynamics, portamento, vibrato, and bird’s-eyed phrasing perfectly in proportion. Her musicianship is simply stylish and brilliant! About Bell: I admit I used to say and write such ‘critiques’ about him when I was younger. He really does sound so contrived and manufactured, inauthentic and belabored. However, he does have the technique and intelligence to back himself up. He knows what he’s doing and why he’s doing it, so ultimately I cannot question his performance. He may not be everyone’s taste, but he need not be; he doesn’t fill up concert halls with mannequins-they are (usually) sentient humans who appreciate his style, and who do like his playing. He’s no less a master due to his naysayers.

Happy new year! ❤ 🎶 Thank you for this lovely gift.

They are all wonderful!!!

Awesome thank you for unpacking each soloist loved it.

I love this video! Thanks Ray! And a happy new year to all.

love this kind of video!! thanks for the analysis!

This is so precious! Thank you for sharing this. It will definitely help broaden my horizons of enjoying classical music.

Ray, I’m really enjoying these analysis videos and they are by far my favorite content you’re producing. 😊 Thank you!

Love it Ray! When you explain, you are making demonstrating it ❤

Love this series! Can’t wait to see the next episode!

Love the video's you post Ray. So much musical information that one can't help but learn something new in every post. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year!!

Thank you for being such a great inspiration! I love these videos.

I love those comparison videos, your analysis is always so interesting, and I really love your positivity❤

Thanks Ray for the detailed explanations of the various interpretations and gestures. I would not have picked up on any of them myself. Very insightful video, please keep them coming!

Many thanks, Ray - for sharing your total enthusiasm for your art and giving mere mortals the best in edutainment!

This is great! I love such videos and this goes beyond being a mere music review. You're helping to educate us on different stylistic nuances of Music performance and it is exceptional coming from a top artist like yourself! It is unfortunately... Too short a video 😅

Thank you Ray! Love such kind of comparative reviews! Especially this is my fav concerto! U inspire us of how to understand different interpretations, some details we may not have noticed before. ❤👍

I really like hearing the explanation of the different styles and versions. They all sounded great….very educational!

More content like this, please. Fantastic and highly educational!

They're all WONDERFUL! I could listen to them over and over, and Ray's interpretation too :) !

I love how I'm always learning new things by watching your videos! and your "showdown" videos make me discover new performances I would've never watched on my own. My favorite performance out of the four you showed was Sarah Chang, and I've never heard of her before, so thank you for always expanding my musical knowledge!!❤

Thank you Ray for this outstanding content!

Thanks Ray wonderful insight into high level performance

I've listened to all of the mentioned musicians before this video to see the difference but i always come back to your version. the sound you produce in the second theme always gives me the chills

Best wishes🎉😘

FANTASTIC CONTENT, man. Big Thanks for taking us on this "tour" of musical genius. Would never have this level of appreciation without your guidance: clearly a labor of love and respect. And what a "spell" the Sebelius casts....awesome.

I love all Hilary Hahn’s interpretations of Sibelius Violin concerto ❤

Im not a musician, and to have someone breaking down so many aspects of a performance that I would neve perceive by myself is amazing. It is like looking to something that's already amazing but with some stupidly well trained eye. Thank you for the content, and please keep doing it!

This was so interesting. I also think we should all listen to many interpretations of pieces. There is so much out there to learn from others. Thanks Ray.

Hilary Hahn is the violin queen! To me she is a living legend. Been to her concert 3x and will do it this year again, hopefully! Her playing on the Bach's Chaconne is the most beautiful one I've ever heard.. she plays it with more feeling and slowed down the tempo which is amazing!

Thank you Ray for taking time to do a very sensitive and insightful overview of the performances of my favorite violinists. I had the privilege to listen Sarah Chang performing in Cape Town in 2015. She gave a wonderful rendition of the Sebelius violin concerto. My favorite performance of this concerto however is the one rendered by Maxim Vengerov that you used in your review. He maintains a specific tension throughout the piece. His playing is pure theater. Stay blessed.

Listening to all these interpretations and how Ray reviews them just makes me love this concerto even more! Every interpretation is so unique and yet so fitting for Sibelius.

Un des plus talentueux violoniste que je puisse connaître et un des plus humble. 🤩 Bonne année 2024 encore !

😊you always play with the most beautiful harmony and perfection..

Love your “nerding out” on other violinists like this. I learned a great deal this way and agree with your assessment. Spot on on Hilary. You don’t have to play with Amazon junks anymore. Just please do more of this.

This was a lot of fun to watch! Thankfully, I don't have to pick a favorite--I can love them all!

I've already shared my opinion, on whose performance of Sibelius I like best, under your Sibelius' concerto video 😊. Sarah Chang also plays it in a way that really "attracts" my ears. I've enjoyed how you structured this video 👍. I hope, that someone, who thinks classical music performance is about making it sound exactly the same, every time & by everyone, stumbles across this video to realise they were wrong 😄 Unless you play something like "New Satiesfaction", classical performances set strong boundaries for what's acceptable, but when the artists succeed to imbue the music with their own "voice", that's what makes it special & unique 🦄 😊.

Saw Ray play Sibelius in Edinburgh 😍 what an incredible treat it was, and what an amazingly effusive personality he has!

I love listening to performers who interpret music differently from others. I feel a different range of emotions and believe I came away richer for the experience!

1:04 this is also my favourite part. I just love it. 😍 For me, that part is just pure longing and nostalgia.

Love these analyses of different interpretations! Hope you have more of these (and even longer!)

Sarah and Maxim are my top 2 favorites of the Sibelius violin concerto! They are amazing!

This is awesome! Makes world-class playing accessible to beginners/mortals.

Fantastic video that makes you open your mind and ears. Joshua Bell is a violinist many (me included) love to hate, but, indeed, his beginning of Sibelius is so poetic, so... "epic!" I can't help liking, admiring, responding emotionally to it. Thank you so much for these wonderful videos! ❤❤❤

This is the content I never knew I needed. Amazing

Sarah Chang is absolutely amazing ❤ couldn't stop listening 😍

Your sibelius violin concerto performance is my favorite piece of all time so I guess I think yours is the best :)

Thank you a million

I think that Vengerov performance is the most impressive performance that a violinist has ever given in history, it was magnificent, especially because you really connect with him in your heart, it is an emotional depth unique to Vengerov ❤

This was very interesting! Thank you! Now i should re-watch it few more times...

Congrats to 400k!!!

My newest favorite Sibelius on internet is Julia Fisher with Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra. Thanks for made this video. Never heard Sarah Chang before. So thank you.

Wonderful!

Please check out Yoon's performance, it had been one of the most distinct performances I've heard of Sibelius

Really crushed that segway into your Tonic plug, well done.

If I'm not mistaken vengerov went from this insane rendition of Sibelius to that ludicrous ysaye encore. It was my introduction to Sibelius and ive loved the piece ever since

I NEEDED THIS VIDEO

i enjoyed your commentary on these Sibelius performance. My most familiar Sibelius VC is by Lin Cho Liang recording, 1988. I hope you continue this series on many other concertos.

OMG Ray Chen I am a big fan of you your violin talented videos they are amazing I love how you play it is amazing 🎻🎻🎻🎻

BRO this is some of your best content 💪

Vengerov estuvo en el teatro colon tocando el concierto de sibelius el mes pasado. Increible concierto e increible interpretacion

rayray happy new year!!!so happy to watch this video while im reviewing for the exam 2 days later hhhh