Primrose was the greatest viola player of all (no wonder he was Heifetz's violist of choice when one was needed!) Magnificent technique and a fine musician.
I am so freaking happy that a violist is playing this. That means there is a very very very very small chance that I could achieve this some day...I practice very very very hard.
"When he performed Paganini's violin caprices on viola, Mischa Elman is said to have exclaimed, 'It must be easier on viola!'" -Wikipedia Haha, he has transcribed so many tunes to the viola, it's amazing, and he owns numerous viola scores already, there is a whole library based on his viola works!
That is why they make viola strings where you can choose light, medium, or heavy gauge. Light are quicker to respond and heavy are slower to respond but do so with a better dark, warm viola sound. They didn't have that luxury back then, which is why Primrose is AMAZING.
The Viola is so much harder on which to play Paganini by account of its size. What Mr Primrose accomplishes here is beyond the understanding of any Violinist. The acrobatics he performs are nearly beyond belief- my hands are nearly the size of Rachmaninov's and I can barely stretch a tenth! I tip my hat to you Mr Primrose. Maybe one day after a billion hours in a practise room, I may be able to come half as close to how well you play.
elliotviola You know Paganini would have been able to do his caprices on a viola because of his genetic disorder which lets him stretch out his fingers
If yu've listened to Primrose's actual recording of this piece, it is very musical and cl3ean, i'm not sure why but he plays it muych faster in this video than in his recording. And i'm not sure who vardi is but if he was as great as you say he'd be as well known as primrose. Primrose not only had spectacualkr technique but awesome musicality as well
@ Jaesango You're the first primarily violinist I've heard say that. Most violinists I know are (not to offend) used to the ease of how much less movement is required for shifting, or even hitting the 5th above the string, as well as less trouble with vibrato (for the same reasons), and less trouble with getting the full sound out of the note (with 3 or 4 part chords it's hard to get this on a viola IMO), since the strings are thinner, and most have a synthetic core.
Man is great, I'm play viola too and I'm impressed... Pizzicato of left hand - revelation. And flażolety-jakkolwiek to się pisze po angielsku.. RESPECT!!
정말로 화려한 스킬을 가지고 있다. 이 동영상에 '싫어요'를 누를 만한 점이라면, 그것은 바로 음질과 화질이다.하지만 이는 어쩔 수 없는 부분이며, 이 정도 연주면 이해해야할 부분이다.It has a really splendid skill. If you like to hit "Dislike" on this video, It is sound quality and picture quality.But this is an inevitable part, This is something you should understand if you play this much.
It's edited! If you look at 1:12 and 1:27, when he takes off his bow (with a bad flicking motion), the next frame is already starting with his bow close to the strings! (You can definately tell by his bow tip too).
hey i thought this was somwhere to talk about the player and the piece played. I think it sounds good. I'm a Violist and cant wait to find a copy of this piece arranged for viola and get stuck into learning it. "If you dont have somthing nice to say dont say it."
actually the Walton was written with the violist Lionel Tertis is mind. However Tertis turned it down and Hindemith played the premier....which was a flop. However, I agree with you that Primrose was huge part in the development of the viola. His natural talent and extraordinary technique is still unparalleled even today.
@msg06769 I think it's partially because they sometimes speed up the tapes when they convert them. I found out the hard way when I was listening to Primrose's recording of Der Schwanendreher, which wasn't just abnormally fast, but a half step higher than it should have been...
Hehe, you are like the Gypsies in the front row of the audience who all brought stopwatches to hear Heifetz play the Paganini Perpetuo Moto in concert. They were surprised at how slow he played it :)
I heard this once on the radio, played by ofra hanoy (sp?), who is a cellist. now this is cool on a violin, adventurous on a viola, but it just doesn't work on a cello.
Would have been so much better without the piano. In fact, that bouncy, thrumming tone was nothing sort of outright annoying especially during the pizzicato part.
Yeah, the half steps are smaller, but that makes it easier in many respects. On larger violas it is hard for me to reach octaves whereas it is a cinch on smaller violas and violins. Another issue that makes the viola harder is the body of the instrument is longer and getting the arm around the upper bouts to play in higher positions can be a challenge. Also, half steps get smaller on viola as well, not just the violin. Trust me, I play both, whereas you never mentioned any experience on a viola.
@DevilViolinist it's pretty hard to physically play a decent sized viola so that will always be the first limit. Prize of decent violas is also hard, because few people make them well for reasonable prices (violins are easier to find in quality). Dearth of good starting level viola teachers may be another obstacle. Just some ideas about hinderances (which in the end fortify violist character haha)
My new viola sounds like this. It's a 1690 model but has the exact same construction as an Amati. I barely touch my violin anymore because my viola's sound has balls in comparison to this violin of mine. The viola in general is a ballsy instrument because only ballsy people can play it. And like Primrose said (no offense violinists), "A Viola is a violin with a college education".
Hail our glorious leader! Best violist ever in existence! Sad that this is the only recording of him playing that we can hear which isn't good quality (of course, it's several decades old...).
Hey! HEIFETZ IS A GOD! ZOMG LOLZ. :P Haha, yeah I know that feeling about the "cool violin" thing...but it doesn't help that I play both. It really is a shame, too; the viola is such a beautiful instrument. It can do much more than is usually written for it, I think. Go viola!
Viola and Violin have in my opinion have the exact same difficulty level i've been playing violin for 8 years and i just recently picked up the viola to play. Once you know violin the transition isn't hard if you can read the key signiture since you play everything in 3rd position and the fingers are just stretched a bit more. And that caprice wasn't originally written for viola so of coures it's gonna be harder. It's the same thing if you try playing the walton concerto on the violin....
@MusicCloud1 I know I may be wrong, but just watching the way he moves, it looks sped up and unnatural... or even the way his head moves at 1:03 and i already know the difference between a violin and viola since i play in my school orchestra. i was just saying that it sounds pretty similar on either instrument...
also this piece was rewritten specifically for viola... you cant say its harder on the viola... the difficulty should be the same roughly... seeing as how everything thing is shifted a 5th downward for the viola...
no no u misunderstand:] what im saying mainly is that the violas in my orch suck... it was a kinda off the wall point to make... but ive attempted playing a viola... and i didnt suck:] at all... the fundamentals are nearly identical... but i do agree with the point that composers were unfamiliar with the viola... there seriously gyped when it comes to music... the're so versatile... they have the power and the deep resonating tone of the cello, but also a high range similar to that of a violin..
Is he really moving that fast, or was this video sped up? I find it funny that people are fighting over whether it sounds better on a violin or a viola... It sounds pretty much the same to me, except that the viola just sounds lower. It all depends on the musician!!!
Funny, I never thought your comment was a criticism. I agree that Paganini is not right on some instruments - for example, the cello. Paganini's genius was pretty much limited to being a VIOLIN virtuoso - his technical prowess was built on an instrument with certain distances between the notes, and the particulars of the violin. His music doesnt always translate well to other instruments.
i kno because they cut of the var 5? (the finger octaves ).they went right from var 4 the chromatic scales then they when to the double stops (var 6) they probaly didnt like how he played var 5. i suppose.
No I'm not kidding. I have a recording of Emanuel Vardi playing all 24 caprices on viola, and he manages to do it without being sloppy and unmusical. I realize that Primrose was important to the development of viola repertoire and that he was a talented player. That doesn't, however, mean that he can do no wrong (this video proves that he quite clearly CAN).
Come on...he was terrific! The incredible rugged beauty of the Viola comes out in glorious splendor under his bow with no apologies to the violin. Eric Shumsky
He switched at age 26 - not a young age for a musician. He studied violin with Eugène Ysaÿe - that should say something about him being a violinist. In this case he is ALSO a violist. SO is Vengerov and Oistrakh and Zukerman. THE funny part is that in the interview, Primrose once said that violinists should NOT switch to violas any time they wish. In my opinion, who cares??? IF SOMETHING SOUNDS GOOD play or listen to it.
The Viola is definitely harder than the Violin in some aspects. The most obvious thing is that it is larger and presents a certain amount of dicomfort for many people to hold. The second is that the Viola is too small for the range it is given, making the tone odd and nasal, with lots of overtones produced. Making a melody line beautiful on the Viola is harder than making one beautiful on the Violin.
"Emanuel Vardi holds the distinction of being the only violist, besides his mentor, William Primrose, to have ever given a solo recital in Carnegie Hall." Never heard of Vardi huh?
lol he got so tired of people asking him "whats the difference between a violin and a viola? and he responded "a viola is a violin with a college education" lol
TwoSet: Viola sucks!
Primrose: I would like a word with you.
Primrose was the greatest viola player of all (no wonder he was Heifetz's violist of choice when one was needed!) Magnificent technique and a fine musician.
From my opinion, the viola is the only string instrument whose tone closely resembles the human voice! Primrose rocks!
The best violist in history! I'm so surprised to find a video on youtube. His technique is so flawless he makes it look easy.
I am so freaking happy that a violist is playing this. That means there is a very very very very small chance that I could achieve this some day...I practice very very very hard.
Go for it!
Did you get it bro?
"When he performed Paganini's violin caprices on viola, Mischa Elman is said to have exclaimed, 'It must be easier on viola!'" -Wikipedia
Haha, he has transcribed so many tunes to the viola, it's amazing, and he owns numerous viola scores already, there is a whole library based on his viola works!
No way!! He did NOT just phrase AND vibrato the harmonics section. That was breathtaking.
That’s actually easier than it seems
@@liu6157and that's not the point
Who the hell dislikes this...? It's a caprice, god forbid it not be a moving musical experience. Its supposed to be mostly technique
I think someone doesn't like the viola thats why they probably disliked it
What a trailblazer!!!!!! I have never felt this many different emotions from this piece before- a breathtaking interpretation
It's like Heifetz on a viola😻😻😻
That is why they make viola strings where you can choose light, medium, or heavy gauge. Light are quicker to respond and heavy are slower to respond but do so with a better dark, warm viola sound. They didn't have that luxury back then, which is why Primrose is AMAZING.
The father of viola! I love him!
Teddy Bear Stories 12 year old comment omg
This man is a viola machine jesus christ
My viola hero
Um dos melhores do mundo, grande músico, toca maravilhosamente.
Primrose... would've liked to hear him live. Wow - this was amazing.
aa que hermoso!! no me canso de ver este video!!!! aaa como amo las violas!!!
the best part is the end...the first 2 minuts are solid but the end is where primrose takes over everybody...hes so good
BOW TO OUR KING!
It still sound amazing even though it's on an ancient recording... I wish that they had better recording equipment back then.
An amazing inspiration for any violist
The Viola is so much harder on which to play Paganini by account of its size. What Mr Primrose accomplishes here is beyond the understanding of any Violinist.
The acrobatics he performs are nearly beyond belief- my hands are nearly the size of Rachmaninov's and I can barely stretch a tenth!
I tip my hat to you Mr Primrose. Maybe one day after a billion hours in a practise room, I may be able to come half as close to how well you play.
elliotviola You know Paganini would have been able to do his caprices on a viola because of his genetic disorder which lets him stretch out his fingers
All right, it's been a decade - how's progress?
Literally my favourite videos on UA-cam
If yu've listened to Primrose's actual recording of this piece, it is very musical and cl3ean, i'm not sure why but he plays it muych faster in this video than in his recording. And i'm not sure who vardi is but if he was as great as you say he'd be as well known as primrose. Primrose not only had spectacualkr technique but awesome musicality as well
woa! j'ai jamais entendu quelque chose de semblable! C'est magnifique!
Best violist ever William Primrose you’re a god
absolutely amazing!
O melhor de todos os tempos.
Awesome!!! Viola power!!!💕💕💕💕
Wow, there is a reason he commissioned the Bartok Viola Concerto.
I wish I had never quit so majestic an instrument!
Best ever to play a bowed instrument!
swag
@ Jaesango
You're the first primarily violinist I've heard say that. Most violinists I know are (not to offend) used to the ease of how much less movement is required for shifting, or even hitting the 5th above the string, as well as less trouble with vibrato (for the same reasons), and less trouble with getting the full sound out of the note (with 3 or 4 part chords it's hard to get this on a viola IMO), since the strings are thinner, and most have a synthetic core.
As a Violist... I idolize primrose
beatiful viola!!! i love this caprice and the 1rs,
primrose is all
Primrose is insanely amazing.
First time i heard this my jaw dropped. Definetly my fav. piece. =)
magnifico!!
Man is great, I'm play viola too and I'm impressed... Pizzicato of left hand - revelation. And flażolety-jakkolwiek to się pisze po angielsku.. RESPECT!!
정말로 화려한 스킬을 가지고 있다.
이 동영상에 '싫어요'를 누를 만한 점이라면,
그것은 바로 음질과 화질이다.하지만 이는 어쩔 수 없는 부분이며,
이 정도 연주면 이해해야할 부분이다.It has a really splendid skill.
If you like to hit "Dislike" on this video,
It is sound quality and picture quality.But this is an inevitable part,
This is something you should understand if you play this much.
It's edited! If you look at 1:12 and 1:27, when he takes off his bow (with a bad flicking motion), the next frame is already starting with his bow close to the strings! (You can definately tell by his bow tip too).
hey i thought this was somwhere to talk about the player and the piece played. I think it sounds good. I'm a Violist and cant wait to find a copy of this piece arranged for viola and get stuck into learning it. "If you dont have somthing nice to say dont say it."
Man, i'm a teacher, violist since i was 8 now, i'm 56. My experience allows me to decide if sth sound as viola or not.
jk. It is pretty good actually. It does sound a little strange, but it is probably do to the recording equipment.
actually the Walton was written with the violist Lionel Tertis is mind. However Tertis turned it down and Hindemith played the premier....which was a flop.
However, I agree with you that Primrose was huge part in the development of the viola. His natural talent and extraordinary technique is still unparalleled even today.
@msg06769 I think it's partially because they sometimes speed up the tapes when they convert them. I found out the hard way when I was listening to Primrose's recording of Der Schwanendreher, which wasn't just abnormally fast, but a half step higher than it should have been...
Literally the Heifetz of viola
Take this violinists! Also 2:04, I know to play that
U lying? I mean ... u ling ling.. 4 violas????? The gang is saved!!!!!!!!
=O!!! Love This
Hehe, you are like the Gypsies in the front row of the audience who all brought stopwatches to hear Heifetz play the Paganini Perpetuo Moto in concert. They were surprised at how slow he played it :)
I heard this once on the radio, played by ofra hanoy (sp?), who is a cellist. now this is cool on a violin, adventurous on a viola, but it just doesn't work on a cello.
Honestly, I think this recording for cello is great. ua-cam.com/video/d26dZGdXnq0/v-deo.html
Why NOT?? Yo Yo Ma did it!! And I heard it was AMAZING!!!!!!
Would have been so much better without the piano. In fact, that bouncy, thrumming tone was nothing sort of outright annoying especially during the pizzicato part.
that left hand pizz I thought the video was speed up for a second
when was this video made?! amazing by the way
Nice! 💪🔥😱
Amazing that he can get such perfect response! If only the recording technology was better.
FOR THE RECORD: Paganini on viola >> Walton on violin.
Yeah, the half steps are smaller, but that makes it easier in many respects. On larger violas it is hard for me to reach octaves whereas it is a cinch on smaller violas and violins. Another issue that makes the viola harder is the body of the instrument is longer and getting the arm around the upper bouts to play in higher positions can be a challenge. Also, half steps get smaller on viola as well, not just the violin. Trust me, I play both, whereas you never mentioned any experience on a viola.
Born 1904 Glasgow Scotland
It's on the william primrose collection, vol. 2, i don't think it's on itunes unfortunately
@DevilViolinist it's pretty hard to physically play a decent sized viola so that will always be the first limit. Prize of decent violas is also hard, because few people make them well for reasonable prices (violins are easier to find in quality). Dearth of good starting level viola teachers may be another obstacle. Just some ideas about hinderances (which in the end fortify violist character haha)
My new viola sounds like this. It's a 1690 model but has the exact same construction as an Amati. I barely touch my violin anymore because my viola's sound has balls in comparison to this violin of mine. The viola in general is a ballsy instrument because only ballsy people can play it. And like Primrose said (no offense violinists), "A Viola is a violin with a college education".
Hail our glorious leader!
Best violist ever in existence! Sad that this is the only recording of him playing that we can hear which isn't good quality (of course, it's several decades old...).
When this got uploaded i was only 1.5 years old… I am 18 now, damn
love it.
amazing.
holy shits... *impressed*
dayum this is good stuffs
What is the difference between in a violin and viola? and which one is a lot harder to learn?
nice and clean XD
Hey! HEIFETZ IS A GOD! ZOMG LOLZ. :P Haha, yeah I know that feeling about the "cool violin" thing...but it doesn't help that I play both. It really is a shame, too; the viola is such a beautiful instrument. It can do much more than is usually written for it, I think. Go viola!
Viola and Violin have in my opinion have the exact same difficulty level
i've been playing violin for 8 years and i just recently picked up the viola to play. Once you know violin the transition isn't hard if you can read the key signiture since you play everything in 3rd position and the fingers are just stretched a bit more.
And that caprice wasn't originally written for viola so of coures it's gonna be harder. It's the same thing if you try playing the walton concerto on the violin....
Excelente!!!...
I meant of the 4 bowed string instruments obviously. Double bass counts as one of the "4" I mentioned btw.
@MusicCloud1 I know I may be wrong, but just watching the way he moves, it looks sped up and unnatural... or even the way his head moves at 1:03
and i already know the difference between a violin and viola since i play in my school orchestra. i was just saying that it sounds pretty similar on either instrument...
VIOLA RULZ YEAH NICE VIDEO!!!!
lol i love how after the pizz variation he's ALREADY playing the 8va variation. Is that possible without edting? Maybe for primrose.
also this piece was rewritten specifically for viola... you cant say its harder on the viola... the difficulty should be the same roughly... seeing as how everything thing is shifted a 5th downward for the viola...
response of viola is different from violin?
what do you mean? i wanna know more since i'm playing viola right now too
no no u misunderstand:] what im saying mainly is that the violas in my orch suck... it was a kinda off the wall point to make... but ive attempted playing a viola... and i didnt suck:] at all... the fundamentals are nearly identical... but i do agree with the point that composers were unfamiliar with the viola... there seriously gyped when it comes to music... the're so versatile... they have the power and the deep resonating tone of the cello, but also a high range similar to that of a violin..
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh BEST PLYER EVA
Is he really moving that fast, or was this video sped up?
I find it funny that people are fighting over whether it sounds better on a violin or a viola... It sounds pretty much the same to me, except that the viola just sounds lower. It all depends on the musician!!!
impressionnant ce primrose... pas étonnant qu'il jouait aux côtés de heifetz.
@frooben is not that it sounds better on the violin but that this song feels like if he was in a hurry and began to cut parts
I so agree!!! My Goodness, where is the falvour of this piece, where is the surreal aura? Yes, it's very fast, but that's all it is, fast.
awesome
Funny, I never thought your comment was a criticism. I agree that Paganini is not right on some instruments - for example, the cello. Paganini's genius was pretty much limited to being a VIOLIN virtuoso - his technical prowess was built on an instrument with certain distances between the notes, and the particulars of the violin. His music doesnt always translate well to other instruments.
miracle ! ! ! ! !
Dont you think that it sounds "terrible" because it is a black & white tape???? You should consider that. He is simply amazing.
i kno because they cut of the var 5? (the finger octaves ).they went right from var 4 the chromatic scales then they when to the double stops (var 6) they probaly didnt like how he played var 5. i suppose.
No I'm not kidding. I have a recording of Emanuel Vardi playing all 24 caprices on viola, and he manages to do it without being sloppy and unmusical. I realize that Primrose was important to the development of viola repertoire and that he was a talented player. That doesn't, however, mean that he can do no wrong (this video proves that he quite clearly CAN).
Come on...he was terrific! The incredible rugged beauty of the Viola comes out in glorious splendor under his bow with no apologies to the violin. Eric Shumsky
Are you criticizing the greatest violist?
He switched at age 26 - not a young age for a musician. He studied violin with Eugène Ysaÿe - that should say something about him being a violinist. In this case he is ALSO a violist. SO is Vengerov and Oistrakh and Zukerman. THE funny part is that in the interview, Primrose once said that violinists should NOT switch to violas any time they wish. In my opinion, who cares??? IF SOMETHING SOUNDS GOOD play or listen to it.
The piano accompaniment is mildly annoying, to say the least... Wouldn't you agree?
Yes
But it doesn' t disturb.
The Viola is definitely harder than the Violin in some aspects. The most obvious thing is that it is larger and presents a certain amount of dicomfort for many people to hold. The second is that the Viola is too small for the range it is given, making the tone odd and nasal, with lots of overtones produced. Making a melody line beautiful on the Viola is harder than making one beautiful on the Violin.
"Emanuel Vardi holds the distinction of being the only violist, besides his mentor, William Primrose, to have ever given a solo recital in Carnegie Hall." Never heard of Vardi huh?
lol he got so tired of people asking him "whats the difference between a violin and a viola? and he responded "a viola is a violin with a college education" lol
@Musicalaga
hell yeah!
i love his left hand pizz lol.
this looks like the sound has been recored afterwards and that seems painful
HOLY CRUD. That guy's fingers are a flipping blur. Now _that_ was entertaining!
lendo... en realidad hacia tiempo no escuchaba una viola
you do know this is william primrose, correct?