Who is the greatest cellist of all time?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Who is the greatest cellist of all time?
Position‹6 of 7›: János Starker is the greatest cellist
Argument: János Starker's musical perfection

Starker believed that much of the performance of music got in the way of the music, like a wide vibrate hiding bad intonation. Starker focused on the music alone.

The argument

Starker perfected the cello, he brought the instrument's sound, tone, and play to the next level. He was known for being a demanding teacher, and he applied the same elevated expectations to himself. Starker held himself to these high standards, and the results are astounding. At 15, he was the principal cellist in the Budapest orchestra. After an accomplished career, Starker quit performing to start teaching, and his contribution to the upcoming generation of cellists cannot be understated. Starker's unrivaled dedication and contributions to the musical world confirm his status as the best cellist of all time.

Premises

[P1]Starker elevated the cello's sound, tone, and technique to a new level, and as a famously demanding teacher he held himself to the same elevated standards. [P2] The results confirm this: he was principal cellist of the Budapest orchestra at 15, and after his performing career his teaching shaped a whole generation of cellists. [C] Therefore, through his musical perfection, János Starker is the greatest cellist of all time.

Counter-arguments

Starker was an excellent teacher, but in his pursuit of perfection some of the creativity and art of the cello was lost. He may have been a great cellist in technical terms, but he was not a great cellist artistically speaking.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The first claim is the conclusion restated. That he raised the instrument's sound, tone and technique "to a new level" is the judgement to be established, and rigour as a teacher speaks to the standards he set rather than to his standing among cellists. [Rejecting P2] The two results point in different directions and neither settles the question. A principal seat at fifteen is evidence of early accomplishment, and shaping a generation of players is a claim about pedagogical influence — which is the counter's reading, that technical mastery came at the expense of interpretation. A superlative about performance has to be argued over recorded performances, and the argument cites none. [Rejecting C] "Musical perfection" is also the wrong criterion for the claim being made. Greatness in performance is normally argued from interpretation, sound and influence taken together, and against the other cellists the position stands opposed to — none of whom the premises mention.