Ginette Neveu

Ginette Neveu was born in Paris in 1919 and was one of the 20^th century's very greatest violinists. She had a most unfortunate career. In 1935 she won fame and the Wieniawski Competition at the age of 15. Four years later, she was marooned in Paris by the second world war until 1945. Her career re-started in 1946; in October 1949 she died in a plane crash, aged just 30. Her playing is marked by a passionate conviction; she is one of the few 20^th century's great violinists whose voice can be recognised immediately.

She made few commercial recordings but, even given the turbulent and unfriendly times in which she lived, quite a few off-air and radio station recordings preserve her playing. I treasure her in Brahms – the violin concerto, and the third violin & piano sonata. Her 1949 off-air recording of the Beethoven violin concerto is one of the greatest. We can admire her playing in Suk, in Debussy, in Chausson, in Strauss, and in Ravel. Her recording in 1945 (already) of the Sibelius violin concerto remains essential listening for lovers of fine violin playing. Ever since my teenage years, I have been deeply moved by her recording of a C sharp minor nocturne by Chopin (arranged by Rodionov); the music just sweeps forward in beautifully phrased arches. The passion and conviction in her playing made her a natural for the Romantics; there is no record of her playing the music of Bach, Vivaldi or Mozart. The recordings that we have, are eternal classics. Busy weeding out my over-weight CD collection, Ginette Neveu will never be in the discard bag.