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axim Vengerov,
the 20-year-old
Russian-born vi-
olinist who
makes his Detroit
Symphony Or-
chestra (DSO) de-
but under Neeme Jarvi's
direction on Nov. 30 and Dec.
1-2, is the hottest young classi-
. cal fiddler to come along in
years. Want proof?
* Following a recent Euro-
pean concert, two women were
seen fighting over the violin
bow hairs that fell to the stage
floor while Vengerov was play-
ing.
* Vengerov's bow (from
which the hallowed hairs fell)
once belonged to legendary vi-
olinist Jascha Heifetz. Before
John Guinn has written about
classical music for more than
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his death in 1987, Heifetz s
tipulated that his bow should
go "only to a truly fitting
successor." A trustee of the
Heifetz estate gave Vengerov
the bow after hearing him per-
form.
* A French champagne com-
pany has loaned Vengerov a
1727 Stradivarius violin to use
in his performances.
* Last year, Vengerov was
named Young Artist of the Year
by Britain's Gramophone mag-
azine, the world's most author-
itative journal devoted to
classical recordings.
* The current issue of
Gramophone, just out, chose
Vengerov's Teldec recording of
the first violin concertos of
Prokofiev and Shostakovich as
its record of the year. (Vengerov
will play the Shostakovich at
his DSO debut.)
The RusSian--JeWisli
ist seemed destined for great-
ness right from the start. B
orn in August 1974 in Novosi-
birsk, the capital of Western
Siberia, Vengerov won his first
competition when he was 10.
His major teacher was the dis-
tinguished Russian violin ped-
agogue Zahar Bron.
In 1990, Vengerov moved
with his family to Tel Aviv, in
part so his father, an oboist,
could find work. Earlier this
year, faced with compulsory
military service in Israel,
Vengerov resettled in Amster-
dam.
In an era when classical mu-
sicians have become fair game
for the glitzy publicity cam-
paigns generally associated
with rock stars, one has to won-
der if the adulation given
Vengerov is more hype than
substance.
But two of his recent compact
discs offer irrefutable evidence
that Vengerov is the real thing:
a classical violinist whose im-
mense technical and artistic
gifts brook favorable compari--
son with past greats like David
Oistrakh and, yes, even Heifetz
himself.
Both recordings are devoted
to concertos by Russian
composers. Vengerov is part-
nered in the award-winning
Prokofiev-Shostakovich CD
(Teldec 4509-92256-2) by the
London Symphony Orchestra
led by Mstislav Rostropovich.
The second CD (Telarc 4509-
90881-2) features the
Tchaikovsky and Glazunov con-
certos, with Claudio Abbado
leading the Berlin Philhar-
monic.
Vengerov's playing on both
CDs combines elegant, almost
fastidious technical acumen with
big-boned, emotional artistry.