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Thread: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

  1. #1
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    Default "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    In this day and age there are almost countless numbers of virtuosos on practically any instrument you can find out there.

    Some time ago I came across a video of Chris Thile playing Another new world by Josh Ritter and I couldn’t belive what I was seeing. Not really being familiar with the mandolin and what it could do, I was truly amazed, And even though a performance like that probably should have left me only to conclude that at least there is no point in picking up that instrument.. For anyone… Ever again. I went straight out and bought myself one.
    To this day that is one of the best musical performances I’ve ever seen. Regardless of instrument.


    So based on virtuosity, compositional intricacy or nepotism;

    What’s your pic for “the greatest mandolin performances ever” ?

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    For me personally it was my performance of the Bach cello suite prelude in D, played on an octave mandolin during a Christmas party in which I had consumed at least two beverages over my limit. Everyone told me it was a truly amazing performance although I have little recollection.
    Last edited by Hudmister; Mar-18-2018 at 1:22pm.

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by Hudmister View Post
    For me personally it was my performance of the Bach cello suite prelude in G, played on an octave mandolin during a Christmas party in which I had consumed at least two beverages over my limit. Everyone told me it was a truly amazing performance although I have little recollection.
    Please show us the video:-)

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by peterleyenaar View Post
    Please show us the video:-)
    Click on the link in blue.

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    I think he is referring to Hudmister's performance.
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by Hudmister View Post
    For me personally it was my performance of the Bach cello suite prelude in D, played on an octave mandolin during a Christmas party in which I had consumed at least two beverages over my limit. Everyone told me it was a truly amazing performance although I have little recollection.
    I want you to know that it truly was memorable even though I have no recollection of even knowing you. Huzzah! (Great answer by the way)
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    I'm kinda partial to this guy whom Grisman affirms is the best ever...YMMV

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by George R. Lane View Post
    Click on the link in blue.
    There is no blue link..
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by MandoNina View Post

    Some time ago I came across a video of Chris Thile playing Another new world by Josh Ritter and I couldn’t belive what I was seeing.

    To this day that is one of the best musical performances I’ve ever seen. Regardless of instrument.
    Wow! How did I not know this existed? Just watched it 4 times.

    Thanks so much for linking that. Truly amazing.
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  16. #10

    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Curly Lambert's break. (Both of them. )



    Okay, it won't stand up to the scrutiny of experts but I like it.
    "I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by DataNick View Post
    I'm kinda partial to this guy whom Grisman affirms is the best ever...YMMV

    wow !!!! thanks for this data nick .....I had never heard of this player .....just a flawlessly riveting performance...

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by ccravens View Post
    There is no blue link..
    That is why I, along with a few others, bold and underline links. It is usually hard to see them, esp if you are on a small screen.
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by MandoNina View Post
    In this day and age there are almost countless numbers of virtuosos on practically any instrument you can find out there.

    Some time ago I came across a video of Chris Thile playing Another new world by Josh Ritter and I couldn’t belive what I was seeing.
    Thanks for posting. That is one of the most flat-out amazing things I've ever seen. That tremolo across all the stings before he goes in the Bach piece is pretty jaw-dropping.
    ...

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    That is why I, along with a few others, bold and underline links. It is usually hard to see them, esp if you are on a small screen.
    But again, there is no link in post #2.

    Peter and I were referencing the statement in post #3.

    I think that's what you and George misunderstood. No worries.
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Thile: Do not try and click the blue link. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth.
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    Thile: There is no blue link.
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    Thile: Then you’ll see, that it is not the blue link that clicks, it is only yourself.

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  26. #16

    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by ccravens View Post
    But again, there is no link in post #2.

    Peter and I were referencing the statement in post #3.

    I think that's what you and George misunderstood. No worries.

    But...Never mind.
    "I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb

  27. #17

    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    You will have to go a long way to find a better piece of music than Dave Appolon playing Czardas.

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Evan Marshall playing " The William Tell Overture"...

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by ccravens View Post
    But again, there is no link in post #2.

    Peter and I were referencing the statement in post #3.

    I think that's what you and George misunderstood. No worries.
    Yes, I noted that in post #5, FWIW.
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by MandoNina View Post
    And even though a performance like that probably should have left me only to conclude that at least there is no point in picking up that instrument.. For anyone… Ever again. I went straight out and bought myself one.
    You probably don't mean that seriously, but just in case you do: Somebody else's virtuosity should never put you off. The mandolin has a huge amount of fun to give even if you come nowhere near being Chris Thile.

    An anecdote: After a Fairport Convention concert, I once spoke to Chris Leslie, who plays mandolin, fiddle, and several other instruments in the band. He asked me whether I play, and I said something to the effect of "Yes, but not in the same league as you." I thought his response was remarkable. He simply smiled and said "It's never a competition."

    In these days of talent shows, prizes, eliminations, and turbo-capitalist competition over everything, it's easy to forget that music stands outside of that paradigm and can - in fact, should - be enjoyed without any such consideration. It doesn't matter if you never sound like Chris Thile. It doesn't matter if you sound exactly like the person next to you. It doesn't matter if you progress slower than other people, or slower than you want. It doesn't matter whether you play a fleamarket mandolin with a pick punched out of an old credit card or a vintage Gibson F5 with a Blue Chip whatnot. What matters is that you are playing music. Enjoy it, and let others enjoy it.

    When I bought my first mandolin and still couldn't play anything at all (mandolin is my first string instrument), I spent a long time just picking one note or strumming one chord, and marvelling at the beautiful sound made by this instrument. This is now over 8 years ago, and I still do the same thing. Some people have been playing for decades, and I'm sure some of them still do the same thing. If we didn't love the sound of the mandolin, we wouldn't be here. And there are many who aren't here but feel the magic of the mandolin too.

    As for your question, I'm not sure I can answer it. Because of the above, I have no criteria to apply to determine the greatest performance ever. Virtuosity, compositional intricacy or nepotism (which you mentioned) would perhaps feature in that judgement, but aren't the defining factors for me. But there are some examples of recorded or live music that move and impress me, and continue to motivate me with the mandolin today. This is a VERY incomplete list, just in case anyone wants to listen:
    David Surette playing "Quickstep to the Battle of Prague": https://www.mandolincafe.com/mp3/mp3/surette.mp3
    Simon Mayor playing "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPDnfZDUs7c
    Kevin Macleod playing "Scottish Jigs": https://www.mandolincafe.com/mp3/mp3/macleod.mp3
    Robin Bullock playing "Breton-Asturian Set": https://www.mandolincafe.com/mp3/mp3/bullock1.mp3
    Avi Avital playing "Bucimis": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJDPan6HJd0
    Olga Egorova playing "Cabora": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHqg-lwMDU

    Add to this the great music I find in the Song-a-Week group of the Mandolin Café almost every day, from people like David Hansen, Bertram Henze, Hendrik Luurtsema, and many others. Not as famous as Chris Thile, but in some ways even more inspiring.

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    One of Chris Thile's greatest accomplishments has been his transformation of pieces written by Bach for violin (and other instruments as well) into mandolin. The Mandolin can accomplish things the violin cannot do and vise versa. I never get tired of his playing, no matter what genre he is exploring.
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  36. #22
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    What’s your pic for “the greatest mandolin performances ever” ?

    Don't have either a personal pick for that, or a pic for that. Hudmister's sounds pretty awesome though.

    And Chris Thile - he's exceptional; always awe-inspiring. Dave Apollon, wow. Incredible player. All the videos referenced have been a pleasure to return to, or be introduced to. Curly Lambert really tears it up. Despite the futility of the question, thanks for the thread. Just wish there were more pics and less blue links here, but what the hay? It's been great so far.
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  38. #23
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Quote Originally Posted by Gelsenbury View Post
    You probably don't mean that seriously, but just in case you do: ....
    You are right. It was merely an attempt at expressing awe.

    In fact, one of my favorite things about music and one of the things that has kept me going in terms of composing and playing new instruments at a relatively late stage in life, and with no musical background, is that so much of my favorite music is "simple". I guess I should clarify.
    Take Beethovens Moonlight Sonate as an example most can relate to. I am moved every time I hear that piece of music. The first five minutes is pure beauty to me. And one might say it couldn't have been better. Yet, I could play those first few minutes after only a couple of months of playing around on the piano.

    Anyway, this threads title is hyperbolic. If I had started a thread asking who is the greatest mandolin player in history... or football player, architect or inventor for that matter, I wouldn't expect to actually get the answer to either of those futile questions, but rather a lot of opinions on what some of the greatest mandolin players, architects and inventors in history might be. Which is pretty much what I'm hoping for here. I hadn't heard of Dave Apollons, Olga Egorova or Avi Avital until yesterday. It turns out I had been missing out.
    Not to mention the Stanley Brothers. Hadn't heard Ralphs voice since I saw him perform O Death almost twenty years ago. Thanks ya'll.

    With the criteria I was just trying to say that if you favorite performance ever isn't from the Chris Thiles, Bill Monroes and Dave Apollons of the world, but your grand child playing the mandolin for the very first time or something, thats cool too

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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    Don't have a favorite performance. In my case what caused me to pick up the mandolin was listening to Ralph Tuttila playing with Finn Hall. His taste of notes and style of playing was something that pulled at me and made me realize I need to learn from this person.



    That's what directly pulled me to actually getting serious about playing mandolin.
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    Default Re: "The Greatest Mandolin Performance Ever"

    I love Another New World. It's on a short Punch Brothers album called Ahoy!(their exclamation point, not mine). It's only 5 songs, but well worth having.
    Such a haunting song!I'd never seen Thile performing it so thanks for posting this.
    I have a hard time with the -est thing:greatest,best tasting,etc. One that stands out in my mind, probably because of the video,was a solo performance my wife and I attended while he was on a promotional tour for the Bach sonatas album.Thile,a mic,and a mandolin. He performed a lot of the various sonatas plus other music. I sat there with a dumb ear to ear grin through the whole thing.
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