‘The most original musician I’ve ever met’: remembering violinist Yehudi Menuhin

Menuhin May 2016 issue

Yehudi Menuhin’s extraordinarily multifaceted life and career more than surpassed the traditional role of the solo concert violinist. Here friends, family and colleagues who knew him, studied with him and worked alongside him describe their association with and memories of the great man

Zamira Menuhin Benthall Menuhin’s daughter: ’One of my earliest memories of my father was watching him perform the premiere of the Bartók Solo Violin Sonata at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1944, with Bartók in the audience. I was five years old, maybe younger, and I can vividly recall looking over the edge of the balcony from where I had a perfect view of my father playing. It was the first time I had seen him alone on stage. Until then I had listened to stories of him travelling all over the world, which was very exciting but also lonely because he wasn’t at home. Looking back on my life, I realise I was incredibly lucky. I loved the music, and maybe this helped me to understand why my father was continually absent, and to accept that.’ 

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.