Interesting thread... I'm not so sure that Hahn is so young that she will develop appreciably in the next ten years. Even of the many other violinists mentioned (Bell, Shaham, Midori, to name just a few), much of their best work was done before the age of 25 (which, last I checked, is how old Hahn is). Unfortunately, it seems as though many musicians, once they "make it," are more prone to having "off" nights; whether this is because they are too busy, or because they stop practicing, is highly debatable. Given the amount of press and publicity Hahn gets, I'd say she's "made it," and I don't expect her to mature or develop very significantly in the coming years. Maybe I'm being a cynic, but that's my two cents.
For what it's worth, I think Hahn is an exemplary violinist, and she certainly deserves the success she has achieved thus far. I would echo the sentiments of previous posters, I think Kyung-Wha Chung is one of the greatest violinists of the last century, and definitely one of the most unappreciated. Try listening to her Tchaikovksy, Sibelius, and Bartok concertos, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Of the younger generation of players, I would also agree that Vengerov and Shaham are top notch. Some lesser known players who are terrific include Vadim Rapin, Soovin Kim, Christian Tetzlaff, and Frank Huang.
Eldartford, I agree with you in some respects... Many of the up-and-coming soloists these days are obviously very talented, and technically proficient, but something about their playing does not impact me on an emotional level. A lot of the older recordings out there may not be as technically clean, but at least it feels like those musicians were saying something. This is not a bash on every young musician out there, but it is a trend I have noticed.
My apologies for what has become a very long-winded response. In sum... I think Hahn is worth listening to, for sure. But, I also feel like there are several other young violinists out there who are at least her equal. And that's part of the fun of this hobby, I guess... Going out there and discovering new music, new artists, and new interpretations.
Happy Listening.
-Eric
For what it's worth, I think Hahn is an exemplary violinist, and she certainly deserves the success she has achieved thus far. I would echo the sentiments of previous posters, I think Kyung-Wha Chung is one of the greatest violinists of the last century, and definitely one of the most unappreciated. Try listening to her Tchaikovksy, Sibelius, and Bartok concertos, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Of the younger generation of players, I would also agree that Vengerov and Shaham are top notch. Some lesser known players who are terrific include Vadim Rapin, Soovin Kim, Christian Tetzlaff, and Frank Huang.
Eldartford, I agree with you in some respects... Many of the up-and-coming soloists these days are obviously very talented, and technically proficient, but something about their playing does not impact me on an emotional level. A lot of the older recordings out there may not be as technically clean, but at least it feels like those musicians were saying something. This is not a bash on every young musician out there, but it is a trend I have noticed.
My apologies for what has become a very long-winded response. In sum... I think Hahn is worth listening to, for sure. But, I also feel like there are several other young violinists out there who are at least her equal. And that's part of the fun of this hobby, I guess... Going out there and discovering new music, new artists, and new interpretations.
Happy Listening.
-Eric