The next generation takes a bow

Child prodigies like Jascha Heifetz and Yehudi Menuhin were held up as examples by Jewish mothers to offspring who might be unwilling to practice.

"The violin in an immigrant Jewish family was a calling card," Rosand says. "If a player became successful, doors opened. As the years went by, it mattered less what your religion or background was."

Rosand sees a similarity in today's crowd of overachieving Asian and Asian-American violinists: "There are so many talented young Korean players, and Koreans see [mastery of the violin] as a new identity or calling card; if they achieve their goals as an artist, then they become an artist, first and foremost.

"Korean mothers and fathers are like Jewish mothers and fathers of yesteryear. I see it at the Curtis Institute [of Music in Philadelphia], where the enormous numbers of Asian students is remarkable, and they're good players. They have the hands and the intelligence."

One emphatic success is an erstwhile child prodigy, the Korean-American Sarah Chang, who debuted with the New York Philharmonic at the tender age of 8 and has survived to produce a series of recordings for EMI marked by eloquence and restraint.

Earlier violin recitals would contain virtuoso pieces chosen to best suit a given artist, rather than the more sobersided concerts of more serious works offered today.

In her appealing EMI disc "Simply Sarah," Ms. Chang, now 20, hearkens back to an earlier age of style and taste in what highbrows might consider bonbons by Paganini and Bazzini.

Another young talent, Siberian-born Vadim Repin, also expresses this lightness and grace in the disc "Tutta Bravura" (Erato). Unlike some colleagues, who plow through classics and lollipops alike with mechanical affectedness or lumbering portentousness, both Chang and Mr. Repin manage to convey joy in their labors. They possess the dexterity to create mere glitz, but manage to do something more heartwarming, expressing affection for a legacy of violin tradition.

With the old players mostly gone, some listeners are convinced we shall never hear their like again. The majestic violist and conductor Rudolf Barshai says he believes that Stern was the last of a famous series, and adds, "I have not heard or found a replacement for these violin players to date."

Although perhaps not replacements, splendid talents such as Lin, Tetzlaff, Chang, and Repin are more than mere consolations. They are vibrant affirmation of a living tradition, and evidence that we may indeed be living in a golden age of violin playing, if only we listened to it and recorded it more carefully.

Cho-Liang Lin

Soaring poetic inspiration in a wide repertory.

Sibelius and Nielsen Violin Concertos (Sony MK 44548 )

Poulenc, Ravel, Debussy Sonatas (Sony SK 66839)

Stravinsky and Prokofiev Violin Concertos (Sony SK 53969)

Christian Tetzlaff

Achingly pure and precise playing that combines head and heart.

Bach, Solo Sonatas and Partitas (Virgin Classics 724354508929)

Mozart Violin Concertos (Virgin Classics 7243545214 23)

Janácek, Debussy, Ravel, Nielsen Sonatas (Virgin Classics 724354512223)

Sarah Chang

Graceful virtuosity with admirable restraint.

Goldmark Violin Concerto (EMI 72435569552)

Strauss Violin Concerto and Sonata (EMI 724355687029)

Simply Sarah: Popular Encores (EMI 724355616128)

Vadim Repin

Stalwart, open-hearted, and unaffected readings of challenging works.

Prokofiev Sonatas (Erato 0630106982)

Shostakovich and Prokofiev Concertos (Erato 0630106962)

Tutta Bravura (Erato 3984254872)

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