it’s unfortunate that this concerto isn’t often played. It is definitely a most unusual composition, with its ridiculously complex passages, with it not being in an open string key, rarely used techniques, such as downbow flying staccato, and many more. This concerto should always be remembered as physical evidence that unlike some other Violinist composers, Wieniawski was not only fantastic at composing for the Violin, he was capable of creating fantastic compositions for full orchestra and solo violin. He was very much a gifted man.
Many knowledgeable persons consider Wieniawski superior to Paganini. Wieniawski died at age 44 - Paganini at age 54. When Wieniawski was born, Paganini had only one more year to live. Among many interesting things about him is that he wrote a cadenza for the famous Mendelssohn concerto and dedicated some of his works to other violinists. At least five superior violins by Stradivari and Guarneri bear his name. Unfortunately, Chen has many intonation difficulties with this work but I am absolutely certain that he is aware of the problems and will keep working on it until he gets those glitches out of this piece - he plays it with style though.
@@violinhunter2 I agree that his intonation is below the standards set for a player of his caliber. However, I must say I enjoyed his interpretation the most out of all recordings of this piece that I've heard. There's just more excitement, passion, aggression, and liveliness than other recordings in my opinion.
Every part of the concerto I. Allegro. Moderato 0:00 - the opening of the concerto 0:21 - tutti start 2:59 - build up for solo entrance 3:14 - explosive solo entrance 4:24 - mix of power & calmness 5:25 - skip-pie part 6:34 - slow & calming part 7:40 - bright part 8:07 - triumphant part 9:56 - grand ending of phrase 10:55 - cadenza start 13:00 - similar to 6:34 but with flute 13:36 - hopeful & pleading part 13:58 - anxious & panicky part 14:25 - most epic part 14:57 - last phrase of 1st mvmt 15:30 - ending of 1st mvmt ll. Preghiera. Larghetto 16:18 - the beginning 18:01 - soft solo start 19:15 - same melody but emptier 20:24 - hopeful part 21:00 - quiet ending of 2nd mvmt III. Rondo. Allegro Giocoso 21:24 - the beginning 21:33 - solo start 22:20 - powerful part 23:02 - cute ending of phrase 23:16 - warm part 24:31 - calm & light part 25:52 - main theme return 26:34 - 23:16 but different notes 27:15 - most beautiful part 27:40 - panicky part 28:26 - intense ending of the Concerto
I agree with everything except for the sad part. I feel like the Powerful but Sad part should be powerful and hopeful. Just my thoughts. Great job though! (Yeah I'm that same guy from Yu-Chien Tseng's Sibelius lol)
he has improved a lot in the last years, you can notice a musical maturity in him, which is great...a fuckin difficult concerto but so emotional, wieniawski was a damn intense poet
I think he is my favorite violin composer aswell. Not only did Wieniawski have an innate ability to brilliantly play violin. He was an awesome composer and very well could have been on par with the great romantic composers if he fully pursued composition. Also indeed Ray's musicality here is amazing, the opening, while intense, isn't played flashy, its pouring out emotion.
Like a fish in water or a bird in the air, Ray Chen is squarely in his element in this concerto. It is indeed one of the best interpretations of this crazy difficult piece. It's rarely played in public for various reasons that I won't bore your with. Suffice to say that I'm impressed with Chen's wizardry. Bravo!!
Thank you Melissa! I think the world of Ray Chen. He’s a wonderful ambassador of the violin in our age. Like Itzhak Perlman, he connects readily with the audience in his own special way. I’m sure his great teacher, Aaron Rosand, is proud of him and smiling approvingly from heaven. Warm regards to you, Alex Saldarriaga 🎻
Friend of mine spoke to Rosand in 2017 for a masterclass, not long before his passing last year. The maestro said Ray had recorded a 90th birthday tribute to him and that he (rosand) thought very highly of him as a violinist
Lel Deud Give him a break though, it is one of the hardest concertos written for violin both in terms of technique and stamina required. The concerto is hardly performed as a result, nobody dares to play it. Not many people play it with this much passion either.
@Gabriel Henschen Nope, but I betrayed Ray Chen the moment the flutist started playing (I am a flutist myself). By the way: The conductor lowered his baton - that did confuse the audience into clapping. My guess at least. The audience never clapped between movements except this once!
@Gabriel Henschen u know that it is quite popular in germany to clap between movements. i personally like that way, especially after suchs a great 1st movement
@Christopher Reichun Wu Be careful or I start gushing about all those tiny nuances, the flute parts, the basses, the overall dynamics, how well everyone worked together etc. I mean, Ray Chen was there for this particular piece, but the orchestra played 4 pieces all together and every single one was exceptional!
TwoSet has made me (noob to claasical music) appreciate the talent, devotion, and professionalism required to play this piece. While I do not not all the techniques, I have a greater understanding of how much I don not know!
I'm not a violin player or any other instrument player, I'm just a listener. I should say this concerto sounds like fighting with dragon and dancing with it in an absolute harmony in same time. Ray Chen plays it and fights it really good but my mind cannot comprehend how da hell Wieniawski composed this. Whatta genius.
But would you be ready to pay as much for the artists of today to start their career, to compose new music? If you pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars I will compose similar masterpieces
As a violinist i can tell you that there are harder concertos than this one, this one just wasn't as successful as the no. 2 d minor. I would recommend you to listen to that one.
@@danielbuczynski4561 I don't believe that you had time to check me up for typos.Instead of finding typos why don't you give your own opinion if you are so clever?
its actually a lot better when they cant clap. it just shows how taken aback the audience is by his/her playing. i would honestly find it a lot more complimenting if they dont clap
Lol he makes that millon dolar violin sound harsh and metallic, the lasts bars sounds like a chainsaw. Check out Shaham / Perlman / Rabin rendition on this concerto...
Hearing that concerto and seeing Chen's performance I know why the earth is still spinning and mankind is not crushed by a meteorite yet because God must be enjoying this so much. :)
I got a ticket for this concert and am so happy right now, that they put it on youtube for me to relive this great experience. It was so fantastic! Thanks to all the participants.
This should be in the repertoire of every listener who loves violin concertos. Intense, fiery, immensely demanding. Ray, you are legendary! Fiddler from Melb
Today is Henryk Wieniawski 185 birthday. Brilliant virtuoso and composer lived a vibrant life, not affraid to take many risks, died too early. Happy birthday Henryk!
I keep coming back to this. Despite the out of tune tenths, pretty much everything Ray does with this piece more than makes up for it. The sheer sound and virtuosity he is able to achieve with this piece is outmatched.
Sometimes I find an artist's performance so complete there is no need to listen to anyone else's performance: Eureka! Chen's intensity is gripping and intoxicating!!
Screw that "Don't applaud between movements" rules, that's composer's business. A great Virtuoso like Ray totally worth a giant applause after such BRAVO 1st movement! Leave this comment right after listened to 1st movement.
During Wieniawski's time people actually applauded between movements if they liked it, so it's not even "composer's business", just some weird today's rule.
I hate it when people ignorant of the rules clap between movements. This CLEARLY was not that. The audience may clap if the performance is outstanding. Generally, that only happens in opera. It was good to see how appreciative and musically intelligent the audience was.
It genuinely ruins the immersion. There’s literally no reason to ever clap between movements of any work of music. It’s disrespectful-period. No exceptions. It shows a complete lack of sensitivity and demonstrates sentimental character. Maybe you think they’re showing extra respect by disturbing the continuity and immersion of the music … But that’s just not the case at all. Silence is golden. It shows you’re captivated and fully invested in what’s happening. Clap and applaud as loud as you want *when the music is completely finished* 🙄
Someone on here criticized his intonation--if that commenter is reading this: welcome to real life, pal. Every solo performance is not going to be perfectly squeaky clean. Ray is human, not a robot. ESPECIALLY with this concerto that relies almost entirely on technical finesse to even work. Every video or recording that an artist puts out is edited and pitch-adjusted to some degree, and it's all for views and following, just like any other celebrity platform. The imperfections are part of being an artist and don't need ABSOLUTE MERCILESS scrutiny every time.
@@HuyHoang-bw8lz I'm not here to fight guys! 😅 Would love to hear your recommendations. I really like his Devil's Trill Sonata and Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Do recommend your favourite recordings of that pieces. Edit: I'm not a musician, and you guys seem like you know the stuff well. It'll be my pleasure to learn from you guys. Makes me appreciate music even more.
Sorry I was being immature lol. The best interpretation of this piece belongs to Perlman I think. Extremely clean and effortless technique, which makes the piece sounds like music, not that struggling flying up bow staccato. About Devil's trill sonata I like Anne Sophie Mutter the best, such vigorous vibrato and thicc tone. Check out Heifetz and Oistrahk for Tchaikovsky violin concerto. And I recommend my all time favorite interpretations: Michael Rabin's Glazunov violin concerto, Sergey Khachatryan 's Brahms violin concerto (you may know Oistrahk's), Heifetz's Bruch violin concerto and Sibelius violin concerto (Bruch and Sibelius should be played that way i think, swift and powerful but not less romantic for Bruch) Ps: Ponce estrelita by Heifetz.
@@HuyHoang-bw8lz This is just a waste of time from me so sorry already😅but i personally like rays version better. Perlman's sound is very mature and warm, with extremely precise intonation etc. but ray's version has a video which really gives full image of the performance. Also i think ray's recording is much fresher. I understand why you like Perlmans more but i think this simply more enjoyable because of the video. Its really just pointless to argue about these things!
When I listen to this I always get the feeling that this performance/piece sounded way better live in person, with certain qualities of the music just needing the solid, reverberating tones of a high quality concert hall rather than a small speaker.
I never thought Ray Chen was this good until I had a chance to play this piece myself. It is so extremely difficult I don't want to spend my lifetime learning it. And that's why it's rarely performed. It was easy for Wieniawski to put it on paper. Maybe he could even play it himself.
Wonderful command over a devilishly difficult piece. Ray's slender, Paganini-length fingers are a great advantage here, and he is a sensation on stage. There is always some humour, coupled to great facial expressions, and an appreciation of the audience comes through every time. Luckily, I have heard him many times, and will try to catch as many of his future performances as I can. Of course, mid-piece applause (a purist's bane) could not be contained :).
I honestly don't understand how this video only has 589k views lol. There aren't even that many recordings of this concerto anywher. Ray's performance is superb.
Upon all the concerto's in the repertoire, this for me is the most beautiful. I have tears in my eyes every single time I listen to it. And Ray just made it even more beautiful 😭😭😭
Jeez, you can sometimes hear how hard the music is. Especially the jumps or chords that you have to play so high up, Ray is doing such a good job of making them speak. Right when it feels like he might make a mistake he proves me wrong and absolutely nails this piece without losing any of its quality to his own interpretation. Well done Mr. Chen.
I always felt butterflies swirling around my stomach whenever I listened to Violin concerto of rare talents, like that of Ray Chen's! What a genius violinist!
Magnifique ! J’adore ce concerto. Merci à cet immense interprète et à cet excellent orchestre de m’avoir comblé avec cette interprétation. Une musicalité hyper profonde alliée à une technique sans faille. Du très très grand violon 🎻 bravo !
When I first heard this performance, I thought it had too many intonation errors - but the more I listen to this, the more I LOVE it! It has become my go-to music every time I'm using the computer!
Oh my !! This is first time I am watching, listening !!!!! It’s beautiful and dynamic violin concerto , Ray plays beautifully with full of power and emotions , I haven’t watched his concerts for some time , I am glad that found this wonderful concert , many thanks uploading !!!!!!
I once played piano for a violinist who wanted to play it because "everyone does the 2nd Concerto", He was a huge guy with giant hands so he had no trouble at all with the 10ths but he had to slow down for the double stops at around 5:30, which I thought was funny. I really enjoyed playing it, and I think it is quite beautiful actually, and it's nice to hear it played by someone at this level.
So many "experts" commenting on Ray's technique and performance. Yet, he's the one standing on that stage, not them, and they never will. It's so easy to criticize what you can't do yourself.
I don't think Ray is the "cleanest" performer. But oh boy is he great at conveying his thoughts through playing. Besides this concerto is extremely tough to play, but his musicality bleeds through every note. Not many violinists can do what Ray does.
Ms Pea it’s true that those “experts” will probably never be as good as ray, however, he did make several minor mistakes that only classically trained ears will notice. This def isn’t his best performance, but still very good.
@@lizisabellagarciaduran5942 Out of tune tenths, tense upbow staccato at times, some harsh bow changes, not the best tone, and you could go on... He's still a great musician, but he was just a little out of it in this performance.
LOL, the people who hear some intonation; why do you think most virtuosi avoid this concerto - because it's a walk in the park? The great Heifetz, who I am sure could have played everything by Paganini with ease, never recorded any of his concerti; why? He was very guarded about his reputation for perfection, and I posit that if he made one slip during recording, critics would seize on that one fault for 200 years. BTW, on a side note, one of Kreisler's pedagogues told him that the great Wieniawski played with what we would now call the modern vibrato, which was pretty rare in those days. Ysaye, who followed him had it. Wieniawski must have been a very unique musician, especially in his time. Music is to be enjoyed - enjoy the performance and the music and remember not to put vinegar in your drink before the concert . Remember the great Chopin; some of his own works he could not play very well; he deferred to Franz Liszt, who reportedly played them better. For my part, I'm enjoying this to the full - wolf notes be damned. I can see that Mr. Chen enjoys playing it, too. It's all about enjoyment, isn't it?
The second movement never failed to make me teary with its romantic and pure melody every time I come back to listen to it, playing all the notes on the G string really sounds like a singing voice, and with Ray’s beautiful vibrato, impossible to not get emotional
Okay... What an expression from Ray...This is the level of music where you can put your feelings into your instrument, and you can communicate your audience and watchers.
A true artist....no playing safe and 100% centred....so many performances can sound so safe, secure and technically correct....and of course tasteful....stunningly performed....the orchestra and conductor enjoyed the full musical experience....so happy to have heard and seen this performance.....thank you.
@@WDRKlassik Vielen Dank auch für die tolle Arbeit. Ich habe das ganze Konzert gesehen und war noch Tage danach von der Leistung des Orchesters beeindruckt. Großartig und voller Hingabe gespielt!
Bravo, outstanding performance! I had tickets for a concert with Ray in the end of Oktober but due to Coronavirus it was cancelled. Recordings like this really help to get through those times and I'm very grateful to live in a time where you can listen to such beautiful recordings on demand. Thanks to Ray and the Kölner Philharmonie for uploading this wonderful recording.
Plays everyyyyy note clearly. This is a tour de force concerto, which is rarely played since it is difficult. Ray Chen gives a really good interpretation....
Ahh such an amazing concerto. Had me glued to my seat in ecstasy. Ray Chen adding that touch is the cherry on top! Beautiful setting, and great audience! Wish I was there! Thank you for recording and uploading for all of us to enjoy!
its amazing the orchestra sounds beautiful , coming to RAY he dominated the full orchestra and he was technicaly outstanding , this concerto sounds great
...what a difference a year makes! This time I was able to enjoy this, unaborted, it was wonderful particularly as I love this concerto as well as Ray Chen. Thank You!
Legendary violinist ida haendel once said that paganini violin concerto was a child's play compared to wieniawski She said that this concerto was an absolute murder from the first to the last note
You know a piece is difficult when the soloist plays the tutti section to warm up
LAMDOSOSO LITERALLY
If they're REALLY good, they shouldn't have to do that! LOL
@@andresrozsa637 it’s REALLY not that deep!
@@andresrozsa637 sarcasm or stupid?
@@ChiefHerzensCoach why do you care what I think?
it’s unfortunate that this concerto isn’t often played. It is definitely a most unusual composition, with its ridiculously complex passages, with it not being in an open string key, rarely used techniques, such as downbow flying staccato, and many more. This concerto should always be remembered as physical evidence that unlike some other Violinist composers, Wieniawski was not only fantastic at composing for the Violin, he was capable of creating fantastic compositions for full orchestra and solo violin. He was very much a gifted man.
And he was only in his teens when he wrote and played it too!
Many knowledgeable persons consider Wieniawski superior to Paganini. Wieniawski died at age 44 - Paganini at age 54. When Wieniawski was born, Paganini had only one more year to live. Among many interesting things about him is that he wrote a cadenza for the famous Mendelssohn concerto and dedicated some of his works to other violinists. At least five superior violins by Stradivari and Guarneri bear his name. Unfortunately, Chen has many intonation difficulties with this work but I am absolutely certain that he is aware of the problems and will keep working on it until he gets those glitches out of this piece - he plays it with style though.
@@violinhunter2 I agree that his intonation is below the standards set for a player of his caliber. However, I must say I enjoyed his interpretation the most out of all recordings of this piece that I've heard. There's just more excitement, passion, aggression, and liveliness than other recordings in my opinion.
@@irisce2799 Yes.
@@MrTomo323 omg,,, such a genius.....!
Every part of the concerto
I. Allegro. Moderato
0:00 - the opening of the concerto
0:21 - tutti start
2:59 - build up for solo entrance
3:14 - explosive solo entrance
4:24 - mix of power & calmness
5:25 - skip-pie part
6:34 - slow & calming part
7:40 - bright part
8:07 - triumphant part
9:56 - grand ending of phrase
10:55 - cadenza start
13:00 - similar to 6:34 but with flute
13:36 - hopeful & pleading part
13:58 - anxious & panicky part
14:25 - most epic part
14:57 - last phrase of 1st mvmt
15:30 - ending of 1st mvmt
ll. Preghiera. Larghetto
16:18 - the beginning
18:01 - soft solo start
19:15 - same melody but emptier
20:24 - hopeful part
21:00 - quiet ending of 2nd mvmt
III. Rondo. Allegro Giocoso
21:24 - the beginning
21:33 - solo start
22:20 - powerful part
23:02 - cute ending of phrase
23:16 - warm part
24:31 - calm & light part
25:52 - main theme return
26:34 - 23:16 but different notes
27:15 - most beautiful part
27:40 - panicky part
28:26 - intense ending of the Concerto
Yes. One of the kinghts of the youtube comment sections just arrived. Thanks
What a champion. Thanks so much for this.
I agree with everything except for the sad part. I feel like the Powerful but Sad part should be powerful and hopeful. Just my thoughts. Great job though! (Yeah I'm that same guy from Yu-Chien Tseng's Sibelius lol)
ádám kovács ，。啦啦啦啦
pl老婆啦啦啦啦漂亮漂亮老婆，pllllpl
llll
了，
，
，
l
Waiting for 3rd mvmt
he has improved a lot in the last years, you can notice a musical maturity in him, which is great...a fuckin difficult concerto but so emotional, wieniawski was a damn intense poet
I think he is my favorite violin composer aswell. Not only did Wieniawski have an innate ability to brilliantly play violin. He was an awesome composer and very well could have been on par with the great romantic composers if he fully pursued composition. Also indeed Ray's musicality here is amazing, the opening, while intense, isn't played flashy, its pouring out emotion.
I agree, but please don't swear
That was such an outstanding performance, he played unbelievably. There's a reason this concerto doesn't get performed a lot, and Ray just nailed it.
This concerto is so freaking gorgeous. And Ray Chen always delivers an amazing performance.
Thank you ❤
Like a fish in water or a bird in the air, Ray Chen is squarely in his element in this concerto. It is indeed one of the best interpretations of this crazy difficult piece. It's rarely played in public for various reasons that I won't bore your with. Suffice to say that I'm impressed with Chen's wizardry. Bravo!!
I always enjoy reading your thoughtful comments! 🙂
Thank you Melissa! I think the world of Ray Chen. He’s a wonderful ambassador of the violin in our age. Like Itzhak Perlman, he connects readily with the audience in his own special way. I’m sure his great teacher, Aaron Rosand, is proud of him and smiling approvingly from heaven. Warm regards to you, Alex Saldarriaga 🎻
Friend of mine spoke to Rosand in 2017 for a masterclass, not long before his passing last year. The maestro said Ray had recorded a 90th birthday tribute to him and that he (rosand) thought very highly of him as a violinist
Definitely not one of the best. Too sloppy and out of tune imo
Lel Deud Give him a break though, it is one of the hardest concertos written for violin both in terms of technique and stamina required. The concerto is hardly performed as a result, nobody dares to play it. Not many people play it with this much passion either.
I can't believe I'm only just now realizing how long Ray's pinkies are...
Sean Brown His hands are as big as Heifetz’s.
No wonder he reaches those tenths with ease
Same.
geniuses are born not created!
i just noticed that too i was like wow imagine being able to vibrate that well on a 4th finger
I saw this live ... I was so impressed with everyones playing!
Blaues Pony lucky you!
Mee too !
@Gabriel Henschen Nope, but I betrayed Ray Chen the moment the flutist started playing (I am a flutist myself).
By the way: The conductor lowered his baton - that did confuse the audience into clapping. My guess at least. The audience never clapped between movements except this once!
@Gabriel Henschen u know that it is quite popular in germany to clap between movements. i personally like that way, especially after suchs a great 1st movement
@Christopher Reichun Wu Be careful or I start gushing about all those tiny nuances, the flute parts, the basses, the overall dynamics, how well everyone worked together etc. I mean, Ray Chen was there for this particular piece, but the orchestra played 4 pieces all together and every single one was exceptional!
TwoSet has made me (noob to claasical music) appreciate the talent, devotion, and professionalism required to play this piece. While I do not not all the techniques, I have a greater understanding of how much I don not know!
haha same
Me too!
4 MIL WIENAWSKI DROP!
I'm not a violin player or any other instrument player, I'm just a listener. I should say this concerto sounds like fighting with dragon and dancing with it in an absolute harmony in same time. Ray Chen plays it and fights it really good but my mind cannot comprehend how da hell Wieniawski composed this. Whatta genius.
Ray is so sweet to give his flowers to the lady in the first row. What a nice treat for her.
I'd pay hundreds of thousands to go back in time and see Wieniawski play, compose, and improvise. That would be stunning beyond words.
Agreed
me too...
I think time travel would cost a lot more
@@manishsigdel824
😂
But would you be ready to pay as much for the artists of today to start their career, to compose new music? If you pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars I will compose similar masterpieces
I’d be so distracted if I were an orchestra member with him as soloist - torn between playing my part and wanting to focus on his performance.
i think we know what you mean but didnt say
Go on autopilot!
Multitasking 🤷
You can do both … You’re supposed to be doing both.
Twoset violin should react to this, to point out why this is so difficult, therefore rarely (almost never, really) played.
Abner Silva maybe they’ll play it in two years haha
As a violinist i can tell you that there are harder concertos than this one, this one just wasn't as successful as the no. 2 d minor. I would recommend you to listen to that one.
@Aleksa Spasic first learn how to spell violinist
@@danielbuczynski4561 I don't believe that you had time to check me up for typos.Instead of finding typos why don't you give your own opinion if you are so clever?
@Aleksa Spasic i agree that there are some harder concertos still i cant see nothing wrong on what he said
you know its good when they clap between movements
cael I’m sure this audience knows not to clap between movements....and yet....it was so well played that they just HAD to clap and appreciate it!
when they don t clap or even breath. :)
its actually a lot better when they cant clap. it just shows how taken aback the audience is by his/her playing. i would honestly find it a lot more complimenting if they dont clap
They’re clapping cuz they want it to be over lmao
The Classical Nerd of Classical in our school we call that “inexplicable silence” and one type of audience impact
I think Ray’s aggressive playing style nowadays is perfect for this piece
I feel like a better word for his playing is intensely passionate
just when i think he's already perfect, he gets even better
Exactly.
Lol he makes that millon dolar violin sound harsh and metallic, the lasts bars sounds like a chainsaw. Check out Shaham / Perlman / Rabin rendition on this concerto...
DenimSoul 89 i love shahams one!
You must have a very bad ear to think its perfect. No wounder many fake violinist thinks they can fool the world now a days.
@@gsm2424 maybe thats the sound he was going for i never know plus the audience didnt seem to care so
15:50 Ray and the conductor were saying "hey, this is a good audience, they aren't clapping in between movements". And then they clapped.
Fml..
I think they were just saying: nailed that! Not guaranteed with a piece at that level of virtuosity.
Honestly, that first movement was clap worthy, holy.
that first movement was just as rare as clapping between movements
Hearing that concerto and seeing Chen's performance I know why the earth is still spinning and mankind is not crushed by a meteorite yet because God must be enjoying this so much. :)
Waw, upbow stacc,nailing those high notes, even double harmonics. All hail ray.
Murillo man Actually he did fail some of the harmonics and staccato passages...
Lai Po and?
Moto Keek and thats not how he called "nailed" the double harmonics and staccatos :)
@@laipo1175 he played it as well or better than it could have intended to be played and that would define 'nailing it', not perfection as you say
@@laipo1175 i didnt mean perfect, i meant he did it really well
I got a ticket for this concert and am so happy right now, that they put it on youtube for me to relive this great experience. It was so fantastic! Thanks to all the participants.
Where you were sitting? I want to pick your face in the video 😂😂😂😂.
This should be in the repertoire of every listener who loves violin concertos. Intense, fiery, immensely demanding. Ray, you are legendary! Fiddler from Melb
A historic performance. It takes a lot of inner energy to do what he did with ease and a smile on his face. An exceptional soloist.
Today is Henryk Wieniawski 185 birthday. Brilliant virtuoso and composer lived a vibrant life, not affraid to take many risks, died too early. Happy birthday Henryk!
I keep coming back to this. Despite the out of tune tenths, pretty much everything Ray does with this piece more than makes up for it. The sheer sound and virtuosity he is able to achieve with this piece is outmatched.
Brilliant, natural talent plus true dedication and a big heart! Look at him give away his bouquet in the end to a granny.
Sometimes I find an artist's performance so complete there is no need to listen to anyone else's performance: Eureka! Chen's intensity is gripping and intoxicating!!
I don’t know how it can be possible but Ray plays everything the exact way I want to hear them. Every single time
Screw that "Don't applaud between movements" rules, that's composer's business. A great Virtuoso like Ray totally worth a giant applause after such BRAVO 1st movement!
Leave this comment right after listened to 1st movement.
During Wieniawski's time people actually applauded between movements if they liked it, so it's not even "composer's business", just some weird today's rule.
I hate it when people ignorant of the rules clap between movements. This CLEARLY was not that. The audience may clap if the performance is outstanding. Generally, that only happens in opera. It was good to see how appreciative and musically intelligent the audience was.
It genuinely ruins the immersion. There’s literally no reason to ever clap between movements of any work of music. It’s disrespectful-period. No exceptions. It shows a complete lack of sensitivity and demonstrates sentimental character. Maybe you think they’re showing extra respect by disturbing the continuity and immersion of the music … But that’s just not the case at all. Silence is golden. It shows you’re captivated and fully invested in what’s happening. Clap and applaud as loud as you want *when the music is completely finished* 🙄
Most underrated concerto ever! Ray nailed it!
Amazing, so many linglings in 1 orchestra.
Pure joy
the end there from 27:00 onwards... just incredible, you can see wieniawski's talent in both playing the violin and composing orchestral pieces
Someone on here criticized his intonation--if that commenter is reading this: welcome to real life, pal. Every solo performance is not going to be perfectly squeaky clean. Ray is human, not a robot. ESPECIALLY with this concerto that relies almost entirely on technical finesse to even work. Every video or recording that an artist puts out is edited and pitch-adjusted to some degree, and it's all for views and following, just like any other celebrity platform. The imperfections are part of being an artist and don't need ABSOLUTE MERCILESS scrutiny every time.
Can we just appreciate how much fun Ray’s having with that third movement
A lively and powerful performance from Ray Chen! His interpretation of the music is moving.
🤗
Anything Ray plays becomes the best interpretation of the piece...
Questionable statement to say the least.
I have everything to prove you wrong and I know your assumption is wrong, but why bother, this is the internet
@@HuyHoang-bw8lz I'm not here to fight guys! 😅 Would love to hear your recommendations. I really like his Devil's Trill Sonata and Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Do recommend your favourite recordings of that pieces.
Edit: I'm not a musician, and you guys seem like you know the stuff well. It'll be my pleasure to learn from you guys. Makes me appreciate music even more.
Sorry I was being immature lol. The best interpretation of this piece belongs to Perlman I think. Extremely clean and effortless technique, which makes the piece sounds like music, not that struggling flying up bow staccato. About Devil's trill sonata I like Anne Sophie Mutter the best, such vigorous vibrato and thicc tone. Check out Heifetz and Oistrahk for Tchaikovsky violin concerto. And I recommend my all time favorite interpretations: Michael Rabin's Glazunov violin concerto, Sergey Khachatryan 's Brahms violin concerto (you may know Oistrahk's), Heifetz's Bruch violin concerto and Sibelius violin concerto (Bruch and Sibelius should be played that way i think, swift and powerful but not less romantic for Bruch)
Ps: Ponce estrelita by Heifetz.
@@HuyHoang-bw8lz This is just a waste of time from me so sorry already😅but i personally like rays version better. Perlman's sound is very mature and warm, with extremely precise intonation etc. but ray's version has a video which really gives full image of the performance. Also i think ray's recording is much fresher. I understand why you like Perlmans more but i think this simply more enjoyable because of the video. Its really just pointless to argue about these things!
When I listen to this I always get the feeling that this performance/piece sounded way better live in person, with certain qualities of the music just needing the solid, reverberating tones of a high quality concert hall rather than a small speaker.
Such as 13:30 through 14:30
It was amazing to watch and to listen to this piece live. I am still so very happy that I used that opportunity to see Ray live.
What a gifted Player and what a brilliant composer !!! BRAVO RAY CHEN, you do your teacher a great justice here.
I never thought Ray Chen was this good until I had a chance to play this piece myself. It is so extremely difficult I don't want to spend my lifetime learning it. And that's why it's rarely performed. It was easy for Wieniawski to put it on paper. Maybe he could even play it himself.
One of, if not the most powerful and intense solo openings of all concertos I’ve heard. Well done Ray!
Brett should play this for the next livestream
Exactly! Someone that thinks like me finally!
Haha yess
Wonderful command over a devilishly difficult piece. Ray's slender, Paganini-length fingers are a great advantage here, and he is a sensation on stage. There is always some humour, coupled to great facial expressions, and an appreciation of the audience comes through every time. Luckily, I have heard him many times, and will try to catch as many of his future performances as I can. Of course, mid-piece applause (a purist's bane) could not be contained :).
I honestly don't understand how this video only has 589k views lol. There aren't even that many recordings of this concerto anywher. Ray's performance is superb.
Upon all the concerto's in the repertoire, this for me is the most beautiful. I have tears in my eyes every single time I listen to it. And Ray just made it even more beautiful 😭😭😭
Matthew Eshun. It's also really fun to play, especially the first movement.
@@nelsoncheng4638 💀
Here Ray Chen clearly shows his excellent can. He plays the violin in perfection with incomparable expression. He has also become incomparable. Great!
The second movement always sends chills down my spine with how warm and pretty it is..
I love how hes just performing with so much joy, it's really captivating!
Wie's No.1 is among the most difficult violin concertos, just the first 10th double stop is a killer
Not only impressive, filled with emotions. Loved it!!
Jeez, you can sometimes hear how hard the music is. Especially the jumps or chords that you have to play so high up, Ray is doing such a good job of making them speak. Right when it feels like he might make a mistake he proves me wrong and absolutely nails this piece without losing any of its quality to his own interpretation. Well done Mr. Chen.
I always felt butterflies swirling around my stomach whenever I listened to Violin concerto of rare talents, like that of Ray Chen's! What a genius violinist!
I have been waiting for this!He played bits of this on his Instagram account and it sounded so good.This performance is too good for words!
The performance is not the sound neither the talented of music, you get good magician's and bad magician's
@@acomposer2489 lol why do you hate Ray?
@@acomposer2489 ok boomer
@@maddiepilz5711 might be a troll channel or somethin
My jaw just hit the ground! Just superb!
Magnifique ! J’adore ce concerto. Merci à cet immense interprète et à cet excellent orchestre de m’avoir comblé avec cette interprétation. Une musicalité hyper profonde alliée à une technique sans faille. Du très très grand violon 🎻 bravo !
Merci beaucoup 🤗
Ray and Benny Tseng are my fave violin bros... On point all the time... The emotions just pour out in their performances.
Totally agree with you!
When I first heard this performance, I thought it had too many intonation errors - but the more I listen to this, the more I LOVE it! It has become my go-to music every time I'm using the computer!
I have the same feeling. First time when I heard it the tone is screeching. Now I play it often when I use my computer.
❣👌🖕😮😃
Difficult piece.
Oh my !! This is first time I am watching, listening !!!!! It’s beautiful and dynamic violin concerto , Ray plays beautifully with full of power and emotions , I haven’t watched his concerts for some time , I am glad that found this wonderful concert , many thanks uploading !!!!!!
What an exceptional violinist! Absolutely amazing!
😊
It was the most ethereal and lyrical performance !bravo ray chen, just bravo!
Thank you :)
Did I just see Ray play along with the orchestra in the beginning? Gotta admit must be fun being one with the orchestra
I keep coming back again and again to this video…perfection!👌🏽
我最近一直在欣賞您的出色演奏，這首作品實在令人驚嘆不已！其難度數倍于其它作品（包括帕格尼尼）！我非常欣賞您的音樂感和舞台感染力！我的心隨著琴聲舞動著… 旋律優美感人令人人回味無窮…..我也生活在紐約多年，也曾是專業音樂人，希望有机會在卡內基或林肯中心去聽您的天才演奏🙏🙏👍👍
Брависсимо! Как долго я искала этот концерт! Невероятно красивая мелодия.Талантливый композитор!
I once played piano for a violinist who wanted to play it because "everyone does the 2nd Concerto", He was a huge guy with giant hands so he had no trouble at all with the 10ths but he had to slow down for the double stops at around 5:30, which I thought was funny. I really enjoyed playing it, and I think it is quite beautiful actually, and it's nice to hear it played by someone at this level.
Omg that tone!I will continue to listen to this,this is outstanding
I’m beyond words!! Most breathtaking performance I’ve ever experienced!
The tenths on such level right at the beginning of solo part just kill 99% of violinist...and the rest part will give a hundred heart attack...
Yes it kills all violinist because they fail to understand the instrument and structure.
I mean he is great, but these tens were a little bit out of tune
@@Nnnmmmkkk Yea that's true, but we can all agree on that he still made it epic with his unique interpretation!
@@dannyboy2267 that's right!!
N. k guarantee you 95% of the audience members aren’t musicians and could not tell the difference
So many "experts" commenting on Ray's technique and performance. Yet, he's the one standing on that stage, not them, and they never will. It's so easy to criticize what you can't do yourself.
The road to becoming an expert musician includes perfecting the skill of aesthetic valuing. I have not seen any vicious comments here.
I don't think Ray is the "cleanest" performer. But oh boy is he great at conveying his thoughts through playing. Besides this concerto is extremely tough to play, but his musicality bleeds through every note. Not many violinists can do what Ray does.
Ms Pea it’s true that those “experts” will probably never be as good as ray, however, he did make several minor mistakes that only classically trained ears will notice. This def isn’t his best performance, but still very good.
@@c.j.6455 What do you mean about minor mistakes, can you explain it.
@@lizisabellagarciaduran5942 Out of tune tenths, tense upbow staccato at times, some harsh bow changes, not the best tone, and you could go on... He's still a great musician, but he was just a little out of it in this performance.
I keep coming back to this recording
LOL, the people who hear some intonation; why do you think most virtuosi avoid this concerto - because it's a walk in the park? The great Heifetz, who I am sure could have played everything by Paganini with ease, never recorded any of his concerti; why? He was very guarded about his reputation for perfection, and I posit that if he made one slip during recording, critics would seize on that one fault for 200 years. BTW, on a side note, one of Kreisler's pedagogues told him that the great Wieniawski played with what we would now call the modern vibrato, which was pretty rare in those days. Ysaye, who followed him had it. Wieniawski must have been a very unique musician, especially in his time. Music is to be enjoyed - enjoy the performance and the music and remember not to put vinegar in your drink before the concert . Remember the great Chopin; some of his own works he could not play very well; he deferred to Franz Liszt, who reportedly played them better. For my part, I'm enjoying this to the full - wolf notes be damned. I can see that Mr. Chen enjoys playing it, too. It's all about enjoyment, isn't it?
Yooo FINALLY! :D (I also love how he plays the intro w/the orchestra)
So romantic sound. Breathtaking.
Thank you! 🤗
That camera angle at 11:11 was really cool. Almost as if you could see from his perspective
The clarinettist is surely enjoying himself playing this piece! Superb!
Thank you 😊
Geniales meisterwerk von wieniawski.
Ray Chen schenkt oma noch einen blumenstrauß.
Ach ist die welt nicht schön
Jawohl, besonders Deutschland ist sowas von schön 🤮
@@Joker-lt7pf Naja, man kann auch übertreiben
Music for our troubled souls and Ray Chen brings it to us. Just fantastic. Thank you Ray.
That sacrilegious clapping after the 1st movement! Though i get it. Ray Chens playing is just flawless!
The second movement never failed to make me teary with its romantic and pure melody every time I come back to listen to it, playing all the notes on the G string really sounds like a singing voice, and with Ray’s beautiful vibrato, impossible to not get emotional
We're glad that you like it 🤗
crazy intonation and speed at 27:59 absolutely stunning ray chen
Okay... What an expression from Ray...This is the level of music where you can put your feelings into your instrument, and you can communicate your audience and watchers.
I love this. Ray, you are an incredible violinist! Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
A true artist....no playing safe and 100% centred....so many performances can sound so safe, secure and technically correct....and of course tasteful....stunningly performed....the orchestra and conductor enjoyed the full musical experience....so happy to have heard and seen this performance.....thank you.
Our pleasure!
We're happy that you enjoyed our performance 🤗
16:16 2st movement
21:22 3st movement
Wow! What a beautifully composed piece- so glad this popped up in my feed!❤
Korrekt der 1. Kommentar.
Wie geil.
Danke wdr. Ton und bild perfekt.
Satzbezeichnungen drin ,top.
Dazu ein genialer violinist.
Lieben Dank und Grüße vom WDR Sinfonieorchester! :)
@@WDRKlassik Vielen Dank auch für die tolle Arbeit. Ich habe das ganze Konzert gesehen und war noch Tage danach von der Leistung des Orchesters beeindruckt. Großartig und voller Hingabe gespielt!
Bravo, outstanding performance! I had tickets for a concert with Ray in the end of Oktober but due to Coronavirus it was cancelled. Recordings like this really help to get through those times and I'm very grateful to live in a time where you can listen to such beautiful recordings on demand.
Thanks to Ray and the Kölner Philharmonie for uploading this wonderful recording.
Sehr gerne,
wir grüßen vom WDR!
Maybe let's thank Wieniawski yet.
Plays everyyyyy note clearly. This is a tour de force concerto, which is rarely played since it is difficult. Ray Chen gives a really good interpretation....
Ahh such an amazing concerto. Had me glued to my seat in ecstasy. Ray Chen adding that touch is the cherry on top! Beautiful setting, and great audience! Wish I was there! Thank you for recording and uploading for all of us to enjoy!
Happy to hear you like it!😊
What a great melody maker Wieniawski is !
its amazing the orchestra sounds beautiful , coming to RAY he dominated the full orchestra and he was technicaly outstanding , this concerto sounds great
This is a legendary perform
Mad respect for Ray
I don't know how controversial this is, but I think this is the best violin concerto ever written.
This is incredible! Beyond words
...what a difference a year makes! This time I was able to enjoy this, unaborted, it was wonderful particularly as I love this concerto as well as Ray Chen. Thank You!
You're welcome!
We're glad that you like it 😊
I saw his live performance of this concerto in Taiwan last year
It was awesome
I can't get over how epic the opening of the solo is
Legendary violinist ida haendel once said that paganini violin concerto was a child's play compared to wieniawski
She said that this concerto was an absolute murder from the first to the last note
Bel orchestre .Grand virtuose Ray Chen au violon 🎻.Congratulations .Merci .🙏🎇♥️🧑🎤
Merci! 😊
Damn his looks is soo classyy :)