Musician's Challenges

Anne-Sophie Mutter's album "Carmen Fantasie" is an example of the artist showing her chops playing very challenging violin solos.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001GII/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fast and technical and the violin is mixed far out in front of the orchestra. I've enjoyed Mutter's previous recordings but unfortunately this CD is not much of a collaboration between soloist and orch as Itzhak Perlman has always done. But it is audiophile quality and worth a listen.

So we're agreeing that the words "quality of the musician," in this context, means "chops?"

I was hoping this was going to be about musicianship and not athleticism.

Segovia has developed an awful right hand positioning for the standards of playing classical guitar after which as he aged he couldn't cope with due to the arthritis and other aging problems. Modern right hand positioning is way more comfortable(I remember my first classical guitar lesson and I jumped out of it right away because I simply couldn't position my wrist correctly!)
Anyways as Andres aged he couldn't play anymore and was playing sloppy.

Segovia's performance once left me speechless - seriously, I could barely talk for an hour after his concert - and he deserves considerable credit for popularizing classical guitar in the 20th century - but he was a sorry teacher. As John Williams (a far better player than Seogiva, imho) has pointed out many times, Segovia was dogmatic and insisted that his way was the only way. See the Michael Chapdelaine (my favorite player today) utube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiAbqfaYGwk

where he was kicked out of Segovia's master class for not playing something the same way Segovia did. Contemptible.

You need to separate technique and musicality. Listen to the Segovia EMI recordings and his Decca sides from the 50's. Tell me which players today are as compelling.

Yes, the old-school hand positions are problematic and should not be used. But that doesn't mean the player can't be musical--just listen to Barrueco's Albeniz/Granados album (now available in a VoxBox set) or Williams playing Ponce. Those guys will likely be playing well into their 80's. And it will be worth listening to. Unlike most of the totally unremarkable pristine performances being offered at present. I have utmost respect for the work these people have put into their craft but please don't force me to listen to it when their are better (IMO) alternatives).