"Lancastrian," a noted English critic of violin playing, makes an interesting classification of violinists, living and dead, in the Strad magazine as follows:
"Instinctively, in my mind, I arrange violinists into classes, or lines, much as follows: Firstly, you have the non-temperamental classicalists, of which I would instance Wilhelmj, Strauss, Marie Soldat, Leonora Jackson, the late Henry Holmes, Burmester and Kruse. Secondly, the temperamental classicalists—Joachim, Gabrielle Wietrowetz, Ysaye and Kreisler. Thirdly, the non-temperamental virtuosos—Wieniawski, Sivori, Sarasate and William Henley. Fourthly, the temperamental virtuosos—Maud Powell, Jan Hambourg, Elman, Zimbalist, and fifthly, the individualists—Paganini, Ernst, Ole Bull and John Dunn. It is a long gap from Ole Bull to Dunn; perhaps that can be partly filled by Remenyi. A few years ago I would have considered Kubelik a most typical example of the non-temperamental virtuoso, but he has developed so much temperament of late that now I should put him in the temperamental class. There is no sharp dividing line between the classes, and there are many connecting links, but I think experienced musicians will admit that the classification has a general basis of fact, and so may have its provisional use and justification."
