Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (22 April 1916 – 12 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. He played the Soil Stradivarius, considered one of the finest violins made by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari.
Violins[edit]
Menuhin played a number of famous violins, arguably the most renowned of which is the Lord Wilton Guarnerius 1742. Others included the Giovanni Bussetto 1680, Giovanni Grancino 1695, Guarneri filius Andrea 1703, Soil Stradivarius, Prince Khevenhüller 1733 Stradivari, and Guarneri del Gesù 1739.
In his autobiography Unfinished Journey, Menuhin wrote: "A great violin is alive; its very shape embodies its maker's intentions, and its wood stores the history, or the soul, of its successive owners. I never play without feeling that I have released or, alas, violated spirits."[31]
Appointed to the (KBE) in 1965. At the time of his appointment, he was an American citizen. As a result, his knighthood was honorary and he was not entitled to use the style 'Sir'. Later, he became a British citizen and the knighthood became substantive. In 1993, he was ennobled taking the style The Right Honourable The Lord Menuhin, OM, KBE (see below).[32][33]
Order of the British Empire
Became President of Trinity College of Music (now ), 1970.[36]
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Nominated as president of the (1983).
Elgar Society
The (1984).
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
The (1986).
Kennedy Center Honors
His recording of 's Cello Concerto in E minor with Julian Lloyd Webber won the 1987 BRIT Award for Best British Classical Recording (BBC Music Magazine named this recording "the finest version ever recorded").
Edward Elgar
The (1990), in recognition of his lifetime of contributions.
Glenn Gould Prize
(1991).
Wolf Prize in Arts
Ambassador of Goodwill (, 1992).
UNESCO
On 19 July 1993, Menuhin was made a , as Baron Menuhin, of Stoke d'Abernon in the County of Surrey.[38]
life peer
the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama (1994).[39]
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
The Konex Decoration (, Argentina, 1994).
Konex Foundation
The in Gold of the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin (1997).
Otto Hahn Peace Medal
Honorary Doctorates from 20 universities, including , Cambridge, St Andrews, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Bath (1969).[40]
Oxford
The room in which concerts and performances are held at the in Brussels is named the "Yehudi Menuhin Space".
European Parliament
Menuhin was honored as a "Freeman" of the cities of Edinburgh, Bath, Reims and Warsaw.
He held the Gold Medals of the cities of Paris, New York and Jerusalem.
Elected an Honorary Fellow of in 1991.
Fitzwilliam College
He received the 1997 in the Concord category along with Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.
Prince of Asturias Award
In 1997, he received the Grand Cross 1st class of the .
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
On 15 May 1998, Menuhin received the Grand Cross of the .[42]
Order of Saint James of the Sword (Portugal)
The "Who's Yehoodi?" popular in the 1930s and 1940s was inspired by Menuhin's guest appearance on a radio show, where Jerry Colonna turned "Yehoodi" into a widely recognized slang term for a mysteriously absent person. It eventually lost all of its original connection with Menuhin.
catchphrase
Menuhin was also "meant" to appear on but could not do so as he was "opening at the Argyle Theatre, Birkenhead in Old King Cole". He was replaced by Eric Morecambe in the famous "Grieg's Piano Concerto by Grieg" sketch featuring the conductor André Previn; he was also invited to appear on their 1973 Christmas Show to play his "banjo" as they said playing his violin would not be any good; he ruefully said that "I can't help you".
The 1971 Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show
1943 – Menuhin was a featured performer in the 1943 film, Stage Door Canteen. Introduced only as "Mr. Menuhin," he performed two violin solos, "Ave Maria" and "Flight of the Bumble Bee" for an audience of servicemen, volunteer hostesses and celebrities from stage and screen.
1946 – Menuhin supplied the violin solos in the film .
The Magic Bow
1979 – The Music of Man (television series)
The Mind of Music
Official website
Yehudi Menuhin performing works by Bach, Bartók, Lalo, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Paganini and Tchaikovsky on Archive.org
31 January 1987