I sat open-mouthed at Viktor Tretyakov yesterday evening. His "later" Paganini first violin concerto is quite staggering for a public performance (or even for any performance). In the end, though, Tretyakov -- for all his incredible exploits -- is not my favourite violinist. He sounds like a true Soviet People's Artist on steroids. Brilliance, technique, stamina, stunning virtuosity. But he does not communicate any particular love of the music he is playing. Makes you think back to other People's Artists such as Milstein, Heifetz, Oistrakh, Kreisler et al who often communicated so much more than stunning virtuosity. Even Kogan, whom Tretyakov resembles, played forte and piano, and often played with great tenderness.
A modern equivalent of Tretyakov is probably James Ehnes, whose (very good) Brahms concerto I recorded recently features irreproachable violin playing. But ...