My Wedding Was a Disaster (but Ida Kavafian was great!)

October 13, 2017, 7:32 pm

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By Diana Skinner: I’ve been married almost 35 years, but it occurred to me only recently that my wedding was a bit of a disaster. Simply put, if things could go wrong, they did. So why does that particular day remain one of the brightest of my life? Because the music was absolute perfection. And that is what I remember when I think back on that day. All the glitches have miraculously faded into the background — the horrendous weather, the people who couldn’t be there, the nerves and anxiety — and I’m left with the music. And that is the part I cherish most. I realize how fortunate I was that Ida Kavafian and Joyce Hammann, both exceptional violinists, performed at my wedding.

Ida Kavafian and my father-in-law at the reception

Ida and my husband became friends at Interlochen as students in 1968. They went on to collaborate on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in 1977 at CAMI Hall, Ida’s first professional performance of the work (or so I’m told). Ida, an internationally-acclaimed violinist, currently teaches at both Juilliard and the Curtis Institute of Music, and performs extensively. Joyce worked with my husband in the early ‘80s and is currently Concertmaster of the longest running show on Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera. It was particularly meaningful that these incredible musicians shared their talents with us on our special day. But, before I get to the music, let me set the stage with an unfortunate series of events. Our first disappointment occurred the day before the wedding. My husband’s beloved friend Raul Julia was to read Shakespeare during the ceremony, in counterpoint with Anthony Zerbe, who would read e.e. cummings. (I picked the former readings, my husband the later.) Well, best-laid plans and all that. Raul’s wife went into labor the night before the ceremony, which meant he would not be in attendance. Anthony agreed to read all the works (and did so brilliantly), but we lost the entire point-counterpoint effect. Next, my flowers arrived the morning of the wedding. I was working at New York City Opera at the time and a brilliant costume designer there transformed my great-grandmother’s wedding dress into something quite remarkable. He also designed the flowers I would carry and promised I would love them. Well… let's just say I probably would have loved them had I been getting married at Westminster Abbey. They were HUGE! It was a massive bouquet that cascaded to the floor. Frankly, I had a genuine concern about tripping over them. Thanks to my mother’s ingenuity, I took the tiny bouquet that was embedded in the enormous arrangement and, instead of throwing it later, used it as my bridal bouquet. My wedding was held at the historic National Arts Club in Gramercy Park — a spectacular venue in New York City filled with carved wood, ornate stained glass, and, unfortunately, NO AIR CONDITIONING! Yes, back in 1983, air conditioning was spotty at best and certainly not available in historic sites. For all the care my husband took to research the venue, he overlooked the element he cared most about: AC. And it turned out to be the hottest, most humid day of the year. At the start of the ceremony, my husband asked the maid of honor (my sister) if it would be okay to take out his handkerchief and wipe his brow. In her inimitable deadpan, she replied that it beat watching his sweat puddle on the floor. Ah, good times. There was also nowhere to park the limo my father and I were in, and nowhere within the venue for me to hide before the ceremony, so we were forced to circle Gramercy Park about a million times. That proved to be a happy accident, giving me some of the most precious moments I have ever spent with my dad. We finally made it inside unseen and were ready for the march down the aisle. And then came the music! My husband selected the prelude and processional and, wisely, gravitated to a classic: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, specifically Autumn (3rd movement) and Winter (2nd movement). I selected the meditative piece: the largo from the Bach double. The one vocal selection was my brother singing “Simple Song” from Bernstein’s Mass. (Perfection.) It was back to Vivaldi for the recessional: Autumn (1st movement). I will never forget the stunning beauty Ida and Joyce brought forth from their violins and my brother with his dulcet tenor. In retrospect, it was the music that separated my special day from someone else’s wedding. Alas, the glitches just kept on coming! Turns out the man who performed our ceremony was not vested with the authority to pronounce us man and wife in any state other than New Jersey. So the pronouncement made during the NYC ceremony was a complete sham. After the faux wedding, we jumped into a limo and got married in the parking lot of a Travel Lodge in Newark, NJ. I’m fairly certain we kept the motor running and the doors locked. Next? Our “photographer” was the boyfriend of one of our guests. (I suspect you see where this is headed.) His camera “broke” and all our posed photos were blurry and dimly lit. (Today, you’d have 75 people with iPhones who would happily help you out, but no such luck back in 1983.) The photographer was able to get a different camera prior to the reception, but the real damage had been done. (Perhaps it was just as well. My husband and I were both so shiny-faced by that point we practically glowed. And the humidity had the opposite effect on our hair: His dark curls got tighter and tighter, while my blond ones fell in a mop around my face.) But I don’t need photos to remember that day. And a recording would never compare to the memory I hold inside me of hearing Ida and Joyce. The incomparable beauty of the two melodic lines weaving together throughout the Bach will always be symbolic of the pure and passionate interlocking of two souls. So, for those of you brides who are worried about the dress, the party favors, and (heaven help us) the releasing of doves, consider putting that attention into your music. I promise, you’ll have memories that truly reflect the uniqueness of you and your spouse. As Victor Hugo so aptly said, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”

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Why The Alexander Technique Worked

October 15, 2017, 9:56 am

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By Paul Stein: I was eight years old, sitting in a large schoolroom (everything’s bigger in Texas) in Dallas in 1959. Mrs. Cook told us how to hold the bow and we looked at the four quarter- notes on the page, with a bowing on each note. She gave us about 30 seconds to soak that in, and with her southern-accented lilting voice saying “One, Two, Three, Four,” we moved our bows for the first time. The next day was devoted to the left hand. We watched Mrs. Cook’s perfect violin hold, and we imitated. Within seconds, violin necks were squeezed, joints collapsed, and fingers were welded together. We read music for the first time. Most of us would agree it’s a necessary ingredient of performing, but it sure uses a lot of brain cells that could be used for learning to hold the bow and the violin correctly. What limited intellect I had was divided and distracted. The math wasn’t in my favor. For every ten distortions my body was beginning to assume, one or two pure musical thoughts had found a berth. Some of us gave up with those odds. Others lurched forward, motivated by how good harmony made us feel, other intangible musical experiences, and a chance to play in the school concerts wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a continental tie. (Look it up on eBay. Could it have been invented for violinists?) On that fateful week at my elementary school, the stage was set for a lifetime of music. Without knowing it, a big bang explosion of many bad habits and a few good ones was born. We inherit various degrees of muscle memory, and our experience with it leaves no doubt that it remembers everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Dante Would Have Loved Beginning Strings Class The Alexander Technique was invented to deal with nature’s inevitabilities. When I held the bow for the first time, it was no surprise that certain fingers would squeeze against each other and the thumb would press upwards very hard and bend the wrong way. Mrs. Billie Cook did a great job of providing visual images, like holding the bow as if it were a dirty diaper, letting the bow dangle from the hand as if it were held from a clothespin, and pretending you had a very weak handshake. She was an excellent teacher, but she was no match for nature’s cruel trick of making my hand collapse into itself. During that week in the Dallas classroom 58 years ago, everything bad that could happen did happen. A physical therapist might have staged an intervention if he had been there. But even in Dante’s Inferno, there is something beautiful and noble that stands in contrast to the pain. Mrs. Cook’s vibrato still rings in my ears. Playing quarters and eighth notes didn’t tie me into knots. There was a relationship between what I heard and how I blended in. My inner ear provided the pretty sound that was, in reality, a bunch of beginners scratching on their instruments. And even though an occasional bow would come close to piercing my temple, there was something comforting about being so close to each other while playing music. The Opposite of Collapsing The premise of Alexander Technique is that, by starting with a good relationship between the head, neck and torso, all other movements will have a good foundation on which to build. Just hearing my Alexander teacher, Pam Hartman of Sherman Oaks, California, talk about lengthening the spine and having my head and neck “float” without sinking, I began the process of connecting the dots to every movement I made with my left hand and bow arm. Each tense, truncated movement I had made millions of times for 30 years was now on notice. Suddenly in one afternoon, I heard a few words which changed my paradigm. “There was a crooked man who walked a crooked mile.” A popular mantra of Alexandrians, it reminded me to pay attention to as many motions as I could, and to avoid constriction or collapse. Making the effort was all that was needed, not perfection.

Fortunately, Pam didn’t ask me to bring my violin to the next session. Not only is she not a violinist, but also she knows that the work of freeing up the body comes from sensing how the inside parts are being affected. The last thing I wanted was a new way of holding the bow. My challenge was to pay attention to what was inside. By the time I had arrived for my first session, my shoulders, neck and lower back were tight and throbbing with pain. At the same time my left arm would suddenly surge with a numbing jolt of electricity coursing from shoulder to fingertip. (Remember Dante?) When Pam said that I hadn’t arrived a moment too soon, it was absolutely true. Hers was not a bloated ego that I had encountered with a physical therapist a year earlier. She was a skillful re-educator (the term Alexandrians prefer over teacher). I was happy to schedule another session (I had two that week). Her words to me as I left her studio were to be sure and adjust my rear view mirror when I got in the car. “Lengthening”, the term used to describe a more healthy and aligned carriage and posture, had made me quite a bit taller. As I did what she told me, it drove home the logic of my new experience with Alexander. Though I didn’t know it, Pam’s words were communicating with not only my neck, but my fingertips and wrists, and even my bow distribution and vibrato. Every movement will either elevate and energize everything around it, or collapse and weaken the surrounding structure.The Essence of a Simple Motion I had been no different than the usual 4th grader. Why do something correctly when a shortcut offered itself? When I changed bow direction, I did it too soon. When I pressed into the A string, I would press even harder into the D string. Alexander taught me to pay attention to the beginning of every motion, because that’s where the DNA of my technique lay. It was wrong to speed up when I changed strings, and wrong to start a string sound without engaging the pure vibration at the beginning of the stroke. My squeaky, whistling E string became a thing of the past. Alexander taught me how to stand up. Pam didn’t teach vibrato, but she showed me how to avoid straining my neck muscles when I stood up. Whatever I had been doing wrong constitutes my “set.” When it came to violin playing, I had a set for every motion I made. There was no problem becoming aware of the long list of muscles I was overdoing and silly shortcuts that were not making my life any easier. The hard part was working on every bad habit that nature had presented me that day in Dallas when I started the violin. However, I remembered that identifying the problem is 90% of the solution. I owe so much to Pam and the Alexander Technique for learning how to peal away the obstacles and remain true to myself. You might also like:

• Eliminating Pain with the Alexander Technique, with Wendy Waggener
• Is Alexander Technique a daily exercise routine?
• Discussion: Alexander Technique (method)

The Week in Reviews, Op. 202: Jennifer Frautschi; Sarah Chang; Ray Chen

October 17, 2017, 9:02 pm

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By Laurie Niles: In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.Jennifer Frautschi performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in the final performance of the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra.

• Noozhawk: On the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra disbanding after 40 years: "A bright light in Santa Barbara’s artistic firmament went dark last Monday..." On the performance itself: "Every detail of Frautschi’s straightforward but detailed interpretation filled the room with pure, clean, sometimes adventurous, always smart sound."

Jennifer Frautschi. Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco.

Sarah Chang performed Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the National Philharmonic.

• The Washington Post: "Sarah Chang played the heck out of the Bruch Violin Concerto No 1; Chang tends to play the heck out of everything."

Ray Chen performed Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Violinist Ray Chen delivered his solos with a taught tone, brimming with energy and quivering with passion."

Kristof Barati performed Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

• The Herald: "...there was a highly refreshing rigour about the technical mastery that Barati brought to such very familiar music."
• The Scotsman: "The glorious sound from Baráti’s Stradivarius was viscerally penetrating....Then there was the sheer command and presence of the man. Baráti has the build and physicality of a sportsman, which translated into a performance of immaculate discipline and razor sharp rhythmic precision."

James Ehnes performed the Beethoven with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

• Edinburgh Guide: "There can be no doubt that Canadian James Ehnes on his violin was the star of the night. The audience was delighted."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!

Violin and Yoga in Jail

October 17, 2017, 7:40 pm

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By Alexander Strachan: “You’re lucky to play the violin.” I paused from playing “Edelweiss “ and laid my violin in my lap. I sat in a chair by the bedside of the veteran at Walter Reed Medical Center. Nurses peered into the room to see my violin. I watched as the veteran struggled to sit himself upright, as he slowly stretched his hands out in front of him and shared how envious he was that I could play the violin. He must have noticed the puzzled looked on my face because he went on to share how he had watched my fingers dance on the fingerboard as I had played some of his favorite music. He continued and said that his cancer had begun to diminish his ability to move his fingers without pain. Before I left, he thanked me for sitting down and spending time sharing music and triggering old memories… I thought about that moment as I stood next to the yoga instructor in front of the security checkpoint in the jail. I felt anxious as the alarm buzzed and gate slowly opened, as the chains grated against the gears. I silently told myself bringing this combination of yoga and violin music for the inmates would create a positive impact. The instructor and I had worked together providing music and yoga for gym members and one evening discussed the idea of starting a program in jail for female inmates. The yoga instructor and I navigated through various checkpoints, and we waited by our designated room while a Bible study continued. As time ticked closer to our reservation, the Bible study leader indicated that he had the room booked for another hour. My heart sank, and I began to wonder if we would be able to hold the session at all due to the jail’s strict rules. Our yoga mats were in the corner of the room on a cart, and the floor looked clean enough to eat dinner from, but we couldn’t use the room. We made our way back to the control center and explained our dilemma to the officer on duty and were then offered to utilize an empty unit. We grabbed the cart carrying the yoga mats and walked towards our new destination. While we waited for the officer to usher the female inmates into the hallway by the empty unit I couldn’t help but smile. This was finally happening. After months of planning, I would have the opportunity to use music to help people in a unique way. The class size was maxed at 12 ladies, and everyone seemed eager to begin. After the officer unlocked the unit I began to wonder how we could use this space to hold the session. The air smelled stale, and I noticed dust particles floating by the ceiling lights. The empty unit had a big open area with high ceilings and cells on one side and stairs leading to a second level of cells. Tables were scattered in the center of the room, and I saw bugs crawling on the floor. However, within minutes, the ladies began pushing tables towards the empty cells and sweeping the floor. The empty unit reminded me of the Correctional Facility used in the 3rd season of The Walking Dead, but fortunately in our case, we didn’t encounter zombies. As the yoga instructor began the session I took a deep breath and sought to transform the unit’s aura with music. I thought of warm colors as my vibrato carried the overtones throughout the unit.

I watched as the women laughed while trying new poses and testing their balance. I changed the music in response to floor exercises and standing poses. When the women were asked to quickly exhale and create an odd facial expression, I accented notes at the end of their breath while adding a harmonic to supplement the motions. I noticed people soften and show vulnerability through laughter and curse words in response to poses that required more balance and coordination. They encouraged one another to keep trying and be respectful of the instructor. As we approached the meditation portion of the session, I felt calm. The space which initially had seemed unsavory for yoga because of the bugs crawling by the ladies’ yoga mats had transformed into a warm safe space. The ladies were asked to lay a washcloth over their eyes and initiate the Savasana pose. In that moment, I stood by the instructor once more and felt goosebumps along my arms. I dug deeper into my strings, unearthing richer sounds from my violin in hopes of the music reaching the hearts of the women. I could hear the echo of my violin as the sounds bounced off the walls of the empty cells in the unit. The instructor prior to the session shared that she also specializes in Reiki and will often utilize it during the meditation portion of her classes for members in hopes of helping them find balance and restoration. I watched as the instructor moved closer towards the women and spread her hands to share her energy with the class. After the session, a woman approached me and shared with me and her new friends that because of anxiety she hadn’t been able to sleep since getting locked up. She then said that the yoga and music was not only soothing but helped her feel relaxed for the first time since becoming an inmate and that she would finally be able to sleep. All the written feedback from the evaluation forms were positive! “I liked the fact that I got a decent workout that was not strenuous! It was very soothing. I also liked the Violin! It put an extra sense of peace to the class and workout!” “I loved it! I can’t wait for the class to come back. It made me feel better mentally and physically.” “I enjoyed the yoga class so much. Please have them return. I know I personally enjoyed it and it really helped clear my mind. Thank you for allowing them to come.” I’m thankful that the session turned out well regardless of the changes and space. I look forward to returning to share music for a community experiencing a difficult time in their lives.

Demonstration of 30 Modern Violins Made in Cremona

October 18, 2017, 1:28 pm

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By Laurie Niles: Cremona, Italy, which gave the world the great violin maker Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737), has re-emerged in the 21st century as a bustling hub of violin-making. Last week I had the opportunity to hear 30 new Cremonese violins at Metzler Violin Shop in Glendale, California. Below is a series of five videos from that event, showing violinist Martin Beaver demonstrating each of those instruments, with links to each maker. You are welcome to skip down to those videos, but for those who are curious about the small city in northern Italy that has meant so much to violinists and string players, here is the little history: Cremona was the birthplace of some of the world's finest violins, carrying names such as Amati, Bergonzi, Guarneri, Ruggeri and Stradivari. But after its glory days of violin-making in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries, Cremona's violin-making industry fell into relative obscurity for a long period, going well into the 20th century. What's notable is the way Cremona is working on a comeback this century -- in a big way. In 2013, the €10 million Museo del Violino opened, giving the city a focal point for its celebrated history with the violin, with high-tech exhibits; displays of important historical instruments by Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati; contemporary instruments; and a recital hall where these instruments are played in special recitals. Cremona currently has two schools for training violin makers: the Academia Cremonensis and the Cremona International Violin Making School. And makers are flocking there -- at this point, there are more than 140 violin-making workshops and hundreds of makers. So what do the new violins from Cremona sound like? Last week Beaver demonstrated 30 violins made in Cremona, many carrying the seal of the Cremonese guild, the Consorzio Liutai, which certifies qualifying instruments with the hallmark Cremona Liuteria. That certification ensures certain standards: that instruments are handmade by a trained luthier, made with certain materials, using certain techniques, etc.

Violinist Martin Beaver, holding a 2002 by Cremonese violin maker Vittorio Villa.

The oldest violin in the exhibit was made in 1998 and the newest in 2017, with prices ranging from $11,500 to $29,000. For me, something noticeably consistent about these violins was the beauty in the craftsmanship. A few examples include Silvio Levaggi's 2011 violin with its striking orange varnish and bird's eye maple; Vittorio Villa's beautifully antiqued Guarneri model made in 2002. A 2017 violin by Giorgio Grisales (current president of the Consorzio Liutai) had a gold-embossed label and bridge. One violin that I thought had an exceptional tone for its price point was made in 2005 by Odin Bykle. Martin Beaver gave an objective demonstration in which he played each instrument for several minutes and made a good-faith effort to get to the tone in each one. I hope you enjoy discovering the sound of these violins and that it widens the scope of possibilities for those looking for a new instrument at a reasonable price. Thanks to Mike Kelley and Metzler violins for providing the raw video. PART 1: Pietro Andreini, 2017Massimo Ardoli, 2017Consorzio Liutai, 2015Michele Ferrari, 2017Benedicte Friedman, 2016Giorgio Grisales, 2017Ricardo Grisales, 2017 PART 2: Matteo Heyligers, 2016Massimo Negroni, 2017Edgar Russ, 2017Angelo Sperzaga, 2017Adriano Spadoni, 2017Andrea Varazzani, 2017 PART 3: Pietro Rhee, 2009Andrea Schudtz, 2001Marco Nolli, 2006Pascal Hornung, 2002Yam Uri Raz, 2015Odin Bykle, 2005 PART 4 Alessio Ferrari, 1998 Pascal Hornung, 2007 Valentinus Natolinus, 2004Silvio Levaggi, 2011Raphaël Le Cointe, 2003Vittorio Villa, 2002 PART 5: Anna Tartari, 2003Barbara Piccinotti, 2003Giorgio Grisales, 2006Gaspar Borchardt, 2008Maurizio Vella, 2004You might also like:

• Looking for a new violin? Take a look at these 50 modern American makers
• Demonstration of 33 Modern American Violas at Metzler Violin Shop
• Top Modern Violin Makers Honored in the 2016 Violin Society of America Competition

'Five-Minute Warm-up,' Part 2: Lesson in lower positions.

October 18, 2017, 7:41 pm

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By Drew Lecher: Here are some aspects and methods to improve your practice efficiency and thereby outcome, with eight general areas of concentration. This video lesson blog is in response to an individual mentioning they could be helped with a more basic demonstration of a thorough warm-up. When developed, this would require about five to 12 minutes. The mental and physical focus applied makes all the difference in your achievements. Begin with two to three aspects. As you gain excellence, add another, etc. Piece of cake :) It, of course, begins with:

1. The mind — Deliberately plan.
2. Open strings — Beautiful ringing tone
3. Slides/Shifts — Vary distance
4. Vibrato — Slow motion and fast vibrato
5. One to four octave slides
6. Diminished Arpeggio — Build in
7. Repetition Hits — Use Rep Hits to train
8. Left arm and hand action

Conclusion: Continuously grow and bring all the technique together, thereby enabling you to focus on the music and play artistically. Hope this helps. God bless, Drew "Technique is the tool by which we accomplish the artistic." You might also like:

• 'Five-Minute Warm-up'>
• Violinist.com interview with Simon Fischer: Warming Up
• Warm-up Scale Routine from Constantine Kiradjieff

Young Frankenstein for Violin and Organ

October 18, 2017, 10:36 pm

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By Darwin Shen: The violin seems to be an instrument that is associated with the devil, so it seems like a natural instrument to use for Halloween. Obviously works by Bazzini, Paganini and Saint-Saëns come to mind. But around Halloween I tend to get silly and ask my friends to play dress up and work on some project. I’m normally rather straight-laced so the one time of year I can dress up and be silly is this.

A couple of years ago, my friends and I surprised the audience at a Halloween benefit with our rendition of “Let it Go” from Frozen. The next year we were much more bold and had matching outfits so we boldly went where no musicians had gone before (call me Sulu). Last year was decidedly bohemian…and I don’t mean Puccini. But this year I wanted to do something more traditional. A number of years ago, Gil Shaham recorded a cd called Devil’s Dance. It’s really quite a wonderful disk and features the Transylvanian Lullaby from one of my favorite movies Young Frankenstein. Just call me Abby Normal! I can’t count the number of times people have asked me if I can play the tune from Young Frankenstein. It is memorable and of course a beautiful melody performed beautifully by the studio orchestra. Mr Shaham and Mr Feldman do an amazing job with this, but for some reason, I felt it needed a certain je ne sais quoi. I found the sheet music of Jonathan Feldman’s wonderful arrangement online (https://iainjacksonpiano.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/transylvanian-lullaby.pdf) and tried it out myself. After some time with the score I had an eureka moment: what is it in the horror movies that the mad scientist always plays? Yup, pipe organ. What if I took this great arrangement and put it on the organ? My friend Mac Cooney took up the challenge. We went to his church and worked on it. The organ lends itself wonderfully to this piece. Picking which stops was up to Mac. Mac selected which manual had what instrument and as we experimented, he realized that the trills and tremolos were not needed. By holding the notes down, the beating of the notes give an eerie effect. Though I think the violin is the greatest of all instruments, they call the organ the “king of instruments.” In this case I think it lives up to its title. Happy Halloween!

For the Record, Op. 33: James Ehnes; Brooklyn Rider; Z.E.N Trio

October 19, 2017, 11:29 am

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By Laurie Niles: Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!Beethoven: Violin ConcertoJames Ehnes, violin Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; Andrew Manze conducting

For James Ehnes' first recording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, he has teamed up with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, led by fellow violinist/conductor Andrew Manze. The recording also includes Beethoven's "Romances" for violin; and Schubert's "Rondo."

James Ehnes. Photo by Benjamin Ealovega.

The Z.E.N Trio: Brahms & Dvorák Piano TriosEsther Yoo, violin Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello Zhang Zuo, piano

The Z.E.N. Trio met on the BBC New Generation Artists’ scheme in 2015 and have since performed concerts together for BBC radio as well as across the UK and elsewhere in Europe. The trio performs Brahms' Piano Trio No. 1 and Dvorák's Piano Trio in E minor, Op.90. BELOW: About the Z.E.N. Trio:

Spontaneous SymbolsBrooklyn Rider

The recording includes music written for the group by composers Tyondai Braxton, Evan Ziporyn, Brooklyn Rider violinist Colin Jacobsen, 2014 Rome Prize recipient Paula Matthusen, and polymathic guitarist/ composer/producer Kyle Sanna. The project is "somewhat rooted in the artistic firmament of New York City, but the scope of these wide ranging works extends far beyond," said quartet violist Nicholas Cords. The new recording "shows us once again at the core of our artistic mission as a string quartet; bringing new works to life." BELOW: Brooklyn Rider plays Spontaneous Symbols - in 45 seconds:

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.You might also like:

• For the Record, Op. 32: Tomás Cotik; Dover Quartet; Altius Quartet; Quatuor Arod
• For the Record, Op. 31: Anne Akiko Meyers; Rachel Podger; Noa Wildschut; Amadeus Quartet
• For the Record, Op. 30: Bill Murray, Jan Vogler and Friends; Takàcs Quartet Dvorák

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Why Do So Many Music Fans Love Violinist André Rieu? (Interview)

October 20, 2017, 4:29 pm

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By Laurie Niles: When my daughter, Natalie, age 20, announced that she'd be studying abroad this fall at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, I wanted to learn all I could about this southern city along the Belgian border. Naturally, I turned to Google. "NO WAY!" I shrieked excitedly. "It's the hometown of André Rieu! And look, he lives in a 15th-century castle there!" "Uh, what?" said Natalie, not a violinist. "Who is this?" Honestly, I didn't have a quick explanation there, either. In fact, what was I so excited about? I'd certainly heard of the enormously popular Dutch violinist André Rieu, but being such a noodle-head classical music wonk, I'm probably not the direct target market for his show. It seems more like something out of Disney World than out of Disney Hall. But wait, I like Disney World. As soon as Natalie arrived in Maastricht, she saw what I meant. She started sending pictures to her Violinist.Mom: Andre Rieu in the student guidebook; a painting of Andre Rieu (as a peacock) in the café; and just last week - a train from Germany to the Netherlands labeled "Andre Rieu."

Not only that, I discovered that Rieu was about to visit Los Angeles, where I live. This Sunday! I decided that the stars were aligned: it was time to talk with André Rieu. After all, Rieu is a violinist who has achieved an astonishing level of popularity - as well as wealth - performing and recording waltzes and related music. He travels the world with his Johann Strauss Orchestra, a 50-member ensemble which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. At age 68, Rieu still performs some 100 concerts a year, to enormous audiences. For example, his Sunday performance in Los Angeles is completely sold out -- that's for the 7,100-seat Microsoft Theater. His website says he plays to 700,000 people a year, and the math would affirm that. The sets for his shows are elaborate; over the years they have included things such as ice rinks, fountains and ballroom floors. The ladies in the orchestra wear colorful ball gowns; orchestra members sit on golden chairs. There are dancers and other performers. Beyond his shows, he's sold more than 40?million record albums. About 2.4 million people "like" his Facebook page, and his YouTube videos have tens of millions of views. I got in touch through his publicist in the Netherlands, and we had a lovely email exchange, which you will see below. I'm hoping to go to his concert on Sunday - if I can get in! Laurie: I understand that you started playing the violin at age five -- what made you want to play?André: I grew up in a musical family: my father was a conductor for several symphony orchestras, and all my sisters and brothers used to play one or more instruments. My mother chose the violin as the most suitable for me - and she was right! Ever since I heard the romantic sound of that instrument, I fell in love with it and the love never stopped. It even grew and grew, and meanwhile, my violin and I are inseparable.

André Rieu. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Laurie: You have famously stated that Gold und Silber by Franz LeHar is the waltz that inspired your love for the waltz. Do you remember the first time you heard it or played it? What about it was so special to you?André: After my father performed the music announced on the program, he used to give an encore. Now and then, it was a waltz. My mother took all her children into her husbands' concerts and it was during one of them - while my father and the orchestra played the Beautiful Blue Danube or Gold und Silber - I noticed something extraordinary. The people in the audience, sitting absolutely still and quiet in their chairs the whole evening, suddenly began to move their bodies a little bit. I was amazed! Could that be caused by the music my father played? Apparently! A waltz is a special type of composition: when written well, it encaptures every emotion like love, understanding, harmony, melancholy... everything! Besides that, I think musical education is important and waltzing is very healthy. May be I sound like a doctor but I'm convinced that a waltz a day, will keep the doctor away!Laurie: I noticed that dance is an important part of your performances, and you dance as well. Was dance a part of your upbringing? What made you become interested in dance, and then in incorporating it in your shows?André: People of my age all took dance lessons. As a matter of fact, it was part of the education. I never had any dance lessons by the way, I was raised quite strictly. In the beginning of my career, when I had this Maastricht Salon Orchestra (consisting of only five members including myself), I was too shy to say anything. Therefore, the girl at the cello grabbed the microphone and told the audience: "Come on, let's dance a little bit." That's how it started. And let's be honest; it is rather difficult NOT to move when you hear all this beautiful dance music, don't you agree?Laurie: Can you tell me about your Stradivarius? I found two different dates for it (1667 and 1732) so I wondered, when was it made? Strads are so rare and hard to find, how did it come into your hands, and when? What made you decide that you must have it? Do you know its story, the people who played it before you?André: I used to play on the 1667 Stradivarius, an instrument the man made during his engagement with his future wife. The same love he felt for her, he somehow put in that instrument. You can hear that! Nowadays, it's the 1732 violin I play on. Although I don't know the previous owners, I am convinced that they all treated her (I mean the violin) with love and respect - that's also how one should treat a woman. The building process of the Stradivarius violins took years and years. When I do a little bit of math, I noticed that the trees for the wood of the Stradivarius instruments had to be put in the soil during Columbus' discovery of the New World. That makes it even more special for me to have the privilege to play on one of those violins.Laurie:: I'm a classically trained violinist, but in college I played in the Walt Disney World Orchestra in Florida. We wore costumes (not as pretty as yours though!), smiled on stage, encouraged audience participation, played show tunes as well as classical, and generally more show-business. It really got me thinking about the nature of show business. I'm guessing you played and saw a lot of traditional orchestra concerts before you started your own. When did you start thinking about things like costumes? Why did this become important to you?André: This is an evolutional process. My Johann Strauss Orchestra celebrates its 30th anniversary this year: in the beginning, back in the 80s, we all (the men but also the women!) used to wear black clothes. That was very dull and gloomy. Slowly, I began to take care of the decoration of the stage. I had in my mind that "golden" chairs would have such a nicer appearance than the regular ones. Then the dresses of the ladies followed, as well as the complete decorum. My concerts should be a feast for every sense, not only the ears but also the eyes, for example.Laurie: What makes for a good show? What are the most important ingredients that make it work for the audience? What do you think are the ingredients that people most often leave out, when a show doesn't work?André: I don't know why some shows don't work; in my case, the magical word is authenticity. My orchestra members and I, we all believe in the magical power of music. We feel every note we play, and then we try to translate that feeling to the audience. We all love these wonderful compositions, and it may be be that that love and authenticity are things that sometimes are hard to find in other classical concerts.Laurie:I actually have a new connection to your hometown of Maastricht -- just last week I sent my daughter Natalie to the Netherlands -- she is 20 and will be an exchange student at Maastricht University for this entire academic year. It made me curious, what makes Maastricht such a magical place? Is there something about Maastricht that gave you these big dreams and Romantic ideas? That fed your ambition and your artistic sense?André: Maastricht is the oldest city in the Netherlands: I was born there and I will spend my whole life in this city. Remains of all ages can be found throughout the town. Some murals from a Roman temple, beautiful churches from the Middle Ages (complete with treasure rooms), ruins from the period Napoleon ruled Europe. Even the castle I live in dates back from 1534. Rumor says that the famous musketeer D'Artagnan had his last breakfast there! It's a historical fact that he died in front of the city walls, so it might be true! I hope your daughter will have a great time in Maastricht!Laurie: You are living proof that classical music can have wide appeal. Many people would love to replicate that popularity for other aspects of classical music -- do you think it is possible? How can we go about doing that?André: As long as you believe in what you are doing, then everything is possible. Don't see classical music as an art form meant for the elite only, it is composed for all of us to enjoy. Mozart was a pop star during his life; I am sure that, when he would live in the 21st century, posters of him would be the decoration of many girls' bedrooms. He would be on selfies daily and the 'likes' and tags on Facebook would be uncountable! BELOW: André Rieu's favorite waltz, Gold und Silber, played at one of his shows. You might also like:

• Discussion: Do you Rieu?
• Violinist.com interview with David Garrett: 'Legacy'
• Violinist.com interview with Lindsey Stirling

Jacob Szekely, Mike Block and Charley Sabatino Are Named Yamaha Artists

October 23, 2017, 12:06 pm

≫ Next: The Week in Reviews, Op. 203: Gidon Kremer; Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Maxim Vengerov

≪ Previous: Why Do So Many Music Fans Love Violinist André Rieu? (Interview)

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By Laurie Niles: Yamaha has announced that cellists Jacob Szekely and Mike Block and bassist Charley Sabatino will join their roster of Yamaha Artists this fall.

LR: Cellists Jacob Szekely and Mike Block; and bassist Charley Sabatino.

Yamaha has around 40 string players on its roster of more than 3,500 Yamaha Artists, who showcase Yamaha instruments, assist with product design, test new products and are given a promise of service and support from Yamaha. Artists are not paid by Yamaha to play their instruments but are permitted to use the title "Yamaha Performing Artist" in their promotions. Szekely, a native of Brooklyn, lives in Los Angeles and runs String Project Los Angeles, a school dedicated to creative string playing. He also is the founder of the The Improvisor’s Guide to the Cello, a video learning series designed to address the unique challenges classically trained cellists face when approaching creative string playing. He plays a Yamaha SVC-210sk Silent Cello, which he said he endorses because "they’ve created an instrument that a classically-trained musician — which is what 98 percent of string players are — can sit down and just feel comfortable with, instantly." Block, who plays the same kind of Yamaha cello, is a Boston-based Juilliard graduate and a longtime member of Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Block also is a professor at Berklee College of Music and runs the Mike Block String Camp. Sabatino performs on the SLB-200LTD Limited Edition Silent Bass, which he calls "the closest thing to an upright bass in sound and feel." Based in New York City, Sabatino has been teacher for more than 30 years, is Music Director of the Jazz Workshop at the Cadenza Music School and is a co-leader of the free-improv group, The Velocity Duo. Congratulations to all three of these musicians! For information about becoming a Yamaha Artist, visit this page.You might also like:

• A Sneak Peek at the New Yamaha Electric Violin
• From Viola to Hip-Hop: the Story of Black Violin
• Violinist.com interview with Lindsey Stirling: the Scene in the Song
• Joining the Jam

The Week in Reviews, Op. 203: Gidon Kremer; Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Maxim Vengerov

October 23, 2017, 1:26 pm

≫ Next: Here's How to See Hilary Hahn on a Prairie Home Companion This Weekend

≪ Previous: Jacob Szekely, Mike Block and Charley Sabatino Are Named Yamaha Artists

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By Laurie Niles: In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.Gidon Kremer performed the Weinberg with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

• Los Angeles Times: "What it asks for is penetration beneath the surface notes, and that is what Kremer offers. He turned 70 this year (which can be over the hill for the average violinist) and he may no longer have the gleaming tone he once had. But he more than makes up for that with an intensity and command that makes him compulsively listenable. The violinist, moreover, led his young conductor profoundly into score, while she gave him youth."

Gidon Kremer.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed the Berg with the Utah Symphony.

• The Salt Lake Tribune: "...everything about Kopatchinskaja’s performance was unconventional but indisputably musical."

Maxim Vengerov performed the Brahms with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

• New York Classical Review: "Many fine musical ideas were covered up by slick rubato and syrupy phrasing,....And then, out of nowhere, the finale was absolutely brilliant: festive, triumphant, playful."
• Zeal NYC: "Vengerov’s playing is alternately fierce and tender—spectacularly so when he goes high and soft—and he certainly knows how to put on a show."
• The New York Times: "A rendition of Brahms’s Violin Concerto — with Maxim Vengerov as soloist — thrilled during some high-octane passages, but sometimes also sounded labored. The violinist favored a hard-edged tone, appropriate for aggressive, double-stop-strewn material in the first movement but less ideal during the Adagio."

Augustin Hadelich performed the Tchaikovsky with the San Antonio Symphony.

• San Antonio Express-News: "The Tchaikovsky, of course, is a waterfall of emotion, melodic beauty and orchestral color. This performance was the way to hear it: with a soloist this talented, playing on a 1723 Stradivarius that has a mellow, rich tone in the lower register and clean, crisp high notes."

Tessa Lark performed Corigliano's "Red Violin Concerto" with CityMusic Cleveland.

• The Plain Dealer: "Lark has fully mastered the daunting score, and her performance Thursday night was a marvel of emotional concentration, technical prowess and not a little showmanship."

Ray Chen performed Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

• Arts ATL: "Chen proved an impressive performer, offering up a bright, well-stenciled take on the concerto, engaging his whole body, especially in the virtuosic final movement."

Joshua Bell performed sonatas by Mendelssohn, Grieg and Brahms in recital.

• The Gazette: "Joshua Bell is peerless perfection on violin. His artistry knows no bounds."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!

Here's How to See Hilary Hahn on a Prairie Home Companion This Weekend

October 23, 2017, 7:03 pm

≫ Next: Is It Real, or Is It Joshua Bell Virtual Violin?

≪ Previous: The Week in Reviews, Op. 203: Gidon Kremer; Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Maxim Vengerov

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By Laurie Niles: Suddenly the radio show A Prairie Home Companion got a whole lot more interesting to me -- Hilary Hahn will be performing in this week's show, along with mandolinist Chris Thile, who is starting his second season as host of the program. Two of my favorite artists!

PHC host and mandolinist Chris Thile and violinist Hilary Hahn.

It's being broadcast live at 2:45 p.m Saturday from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium - that's near where I live! Not only that, if you are anywhere near Los Angeles, I have two sets of tickets to give away, but more on that in a bit. For many years I've passively listened to this NPR show, with its host Garrison Keillor, a brilliant, deep-voiced storyteller grounded in the classic radio tradition, with his Midwestern folk wisdom and tales, silly acts and fake commercials, as well as a lot of high-quality musical acts. It always felt like jumping back to the time of my grandparents. Keillor could spin a yarn, and I don't think even he knew where it was going some of the time, but it was captivating. When mandolinist Chris Thile took over as host of the show in 2016, I really did wonder what would happen. He's so different from Garrison Keillor! He's young, grounded in this century more than the last. Thile grew up in California, not Minnesota; and he lives in New York. He's a tenor, not a bass. "Join me for my second season of being 'not Garrison Keillor!'" Thile said recently in an NPR pitch for the show. Thile was Keillor's handpicked successor, having known Thile since his first appearance the show back in 1996, when he was just 15. But I don't think Keillor was looking for someone to "fill his shoes"; I think he was simply looking for the best live performer he could find, someone who loved and respected the show and its traditions but who ultimately would help it evolve. And it is beginning to take its own direction. Thile has started to create a few segments of his own: for example, writing a new song each week; or the spontaneous creation of an ad-libbed pop tune medley filled with texted requests. The more it becomes Thile's show, the more I like it. This Saturday's guests include: Hilary Hahn, Fiona Apple, Dan Auerbach, Robert Finley, and comedian Nick Offerman. To enter to win tickets from Violinist.com: Just reply to this post! Tell us something you like about either Hilary Hahn or Chris Thile, or your thoughts on PHC, or just "I'd love to go!" You must be registered and logged in for your reply to count, and we will consider only one entry per person, so don't bother spamming the replies. Each winner will get two tickets to the show - it's up to you to get to the theater and claim the tickets at will call. We will announce the winners on Friday. To simply buy tickets, click here to to the the Prairie Home Companion tickets page.You might also like:

• Interview with Hilary Hahn: Bridges to the Past
• Interview with Chris Thile: Bach Sonatas and Partitas, on Mandolin
• Violinist.com interview with Christopher O'Riley

Is It Real, or Is It Joshua Bell Virtual Violin?

October 25, 2017, 12:49 pm

≫ Next: For the Record, Op. 34: Amanda Maier works; Amit Peled; Christmas albums by Lindsey Stirling + Piano Guys.

≪ Previous: Here's How to See Hilary Hahn on a Prairie Home Companion This Weekend

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By Laurie Niles: Good news for composers who prefer a digital audio workstation: now for just $199, you can access the sound of a Stradivari with the new Joshua Bell Virtual Violin library, released earlier this month by the virtual instrument sampling company Embertone. The library contains more than 20,000 individual samples performed by Bell on his 1713 "Huberman" Strad, with a Tourte bow.

Is this good news for the rest of us violinists? Well, read on, and feel free to post your thoughts and perspectives in the comments below. Embertone sound engineers were of course thrilled to have Joshua Bell creating these samples: "Every sample was a performance," said Embertone co-founder and producer Alex Davis. "He brought a level of artistry to these sessions that I never could have imagined." The samples were recorded over the course of two days at Avatar Studios in New York City, where Bell played more than 400 pages of score, including various articulations for each note: "sustains," pizzicatos, staccatos, and spiccatos — as well as a number of sample sets. The result was more than 20,000 individual samples, which can be manipulated in various ways with predictive programming and a diverse array of musical properties and rule sets. The platform has 12 legato/transition styles, allowing users to "play" at various tempos, dynamics, and in different styles. Here are few samples of pieces recorded using the Joshua Bell Virtual Violin: Here is a video about how it works: Click here for the website where you can buy it or find out more information. What are your thoughts?You might also like:

• On-the-Spot Film Scoring with the Digital Natives
• Review: Joshua Bell Performs Bernstein 'Serenade'
• The Orchestra Awakens: Inside the 'Star Wars' Recording Sessions

For the Record, Op. 34: Amanda Maier works; Amit Peled; Christmas albums by Lindsey Stirling + Piano Guys.

October 26, 2017, 7:54 am

≫ Next: V.com weekend vote: When was your violin made?

≪ Previous: Is It Real, or Is It Joshua Bell Virtual Violin?

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By Laurie Niles: Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!Amanda Maier, Vol. 2Cecilia Zilliacus, violinBengt Forsberg, pianoSabina Bisholt, soprano

This album features even world premiere recordings of the music of Amanda Maier (1853-1894), who was a Swedish-German composer who was married to fellow composer Julius Rontgen and a close friend of Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, and other great musicians of the time. The first volume of her music was released in 2016. On Volume 2, Swedish violinist Cecilia Zilliacus and pianist Bengt Forsberg perform Maier’s violin sonata, and Nine Pieces for Violin and Piano. Soprano Sabina Bisholt makes her recording debut with her interpretation of Maier’s songs. Eight of these seventeen tracks are world premiere recordings. BELOW: Samples from the album.

The Amit Peled Peabody Cello GangAmit Peled, celloThe Peabody Peled Cello Gang The Peabody Peled Cello Gang is composed of students from Amit Peled's studio at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University with students ranging in age from undergraduate freshmen to second-year master's students. This recording features a world premiere arrangement of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata in A Minor, D. 821 for four cellos by Tom Zebovitz; Popper’s Requiem, Op.66; and Handel’s Sonata for Two Cellos in G Minor, Op.2 No.8. Peled performs on the 1733 Pablo Casals Goffriller cello. "Janos Starker once said, ‘I personally can't perform without teaching and I can't teach without performing.’ Ever since those transformative and magical moments, I knew that I would become a teacher and pass on the tradition of sharing music with my own students on stage," Peled said. "This day arrived when the Cello Gang was created." BELOW: Amit Peled and two of his students from the Peabody Institute, Hans Kristian Goldstein and Paula Cuesta perform David Popper's Requiem for three cellos and piano Warmer in the WinterLindsey Stirling, violin

Pop violinist Lindsey Stirling has produced an album featuring arrangments of 13 Christmas songs. "My music is very synthesized and very produced, and this album is almost completely the opposite," Stirling said. "Almost everything on the album was live." BELOW: Interview about the album

Christmas TogetherThe Piano Guys

The Piano Guys, featuring cellist Steven Sharp Nelson and pianist Jon Schmidt, have a created a Christmas album featuring Peter Hollens; David Archuleta; the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Plácido Domingo with the Cathedral School Choristers; The King’s Singers and Lexi Walker.

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.You might also like:

• World-premiere recording of works by violinist Amanda Maier-Röntgen, 141 years later
• Violinist.com interview with Lindsey Stirling: the Scene in the Song
• For the Record, Op. 33: James Ehnes; Brooklyn Rider; Z.E.N Trio

V.com weekend vote: When was your violin made?

October 27, 2017, 10:21 am

≫ Next: Hilary Hahn on A Prairie Home Companion: A Win for Classical Music

≪ Previous: For the Record, Op. 34: Amanda Maier works; Amit Peled; Christmas albums by Lindsey Stirling + Piano Guys.

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By Laurie Niles: As an object, the violin is one of mankind's great accomplishments. Despite radical changes in society and technology, the design of the violin has changed very little since it was standardized by Andrea Amati in the 16th century and then perfected by Antonio Stradivari a century later.

Painting: 'Antonio Stradivari' (1893) by Edgar Bundy

That means that in any given orchestra, musicians are holding violins whose year of origin can range across centuries. Mind-boggling! One violinist might play on an Italian fiddle made in the 1700s; another on a 19th c. French violin, another on an American violin made just last year. The three violins in my possession range greatly as well, with one made in the 19th, one in the 20th, and one in the 21st century! For this vote, select the century when your most-frequently-played violin, viola or cello was made. Then tell us about it in the comments section, and you can also tell us the dates of any other instruments you have. You might also like:

• Strad Style: Award-Winning Documentary Goes to the Heart of Violin Making
• Book review: 'The Violin Maker'
• Christopher Germain talks about The American Violin, then and now

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Hilary Hahn on A Prairie Home Companion: A Win for Classical Music

October 29, 2017, 4:59 pm

≫ Next: The Week in Reviews, Op. 204: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; James Ehnes; Joshua Bell

≪ Previous: V.com weekend vote: When was your violin made?

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By Laurie Niles: An interesting thing happened Saturday in Pasadena, Calif. at the taping of the public radio show A Prairie Home Companion, which featured violinist Hilary Hahn as one of the guest artists. (If you'd like to hear the show, here is the link to the broadcast on the Prairie Home Companion website.)

Violinist Hilary Hahn and Chris Thile, broadcasting A Prairie Home Companion in Pasadena Saturday.

The show, hosted for many years by the deep-voiced storyteller Garrison Keillor, is now in the hands of virtuoso mandolinist Chris Thile, who seems to be steering it in a more musical direction, while still keeping much of its traditional humor and storytelling. At the beginning of the show, Tim Russell announced all the guests that would be appearing: Dan Auerbach, Robert Finley, Fiona Apple, Nick Offerman... when he came to Hilary Hahn, the audience applause was polite, but there was no surge. I was sitting in the audience with my husband Robert and some V.commies, including violin teacher Nikkia Cox and amateur violist Steve Reizes. We hollered our loudest for Our Hero Hilary, the person we'd come to see, but I still felt a little like a specialty classical music cheering section. The show went for two hours, during which Hilary played four times. By the time they announced her name at the end of the show, the applause was thunderous, downright enthusiastic, with hoots and howls all over the house. What changed? Well, they heard her play. And thanks to Chris Thile for that. After seeing his show live, I understood quite clearly what made Keillor choose Chris as his heir: Chris is a consummate connoisseur of sound. Somehow the feeling on stage seemed completely casual and easy, yet every time someone spoke or played into a microphone, the sound was high polish, whether it was vocal, instrumental or sound effect. A MacArthur Fellow who started his career in the bluegrass band Nickel Creek, Chris clearly has no preference for one musical genre over another. Not only does he write a new song for the week and thrive in the spotlight, he also is a musical shape-shifter who seems ready and able to support any kind of musician of excellence. Two of Hilary's pieces were duets with Thile, in fact. The first piece they played was the last movement of the Bach Double -- violin and mandolin, at a good, fast clip and with plenty of chemistry. (In fact, despite his bluegrass upbringing, Chris Thile has long been a fan of J.S. Bach.) Before Hilary's appearance, when Chris was introducing her, he stumbled a bit. "I've been...well, bragging that you were to be on the show, and people have been like..that's interesting, that's unique....people have almost been insinuating that it was odd that you would be here..." "Thank you, people!" Hilary laughed. When it came right down to it, it wasn't odd at all. It was clearly wonderful. As Chris said, "they've been psyched, but they've been like, oh, it's out of the ordinary." Who wants ordinary? I have a feeling Chris has a taste for the extraordinary, and audiences are going to like it. They did on Saturday. When Hilary ripped through the "Preludio" to Bach's Partita no. 3, the audience roared. (This piece is so familiar to me, a violinist - I forgot how dazzling it can be to people who may not have heard it!) Chris has a segment where he announces the week's birthdays of famous musicians and then plays pieces made famous by those musicians. This week was an eclectic assortment: Clifford Brown, Barbara Cook, Dwight Yoakam, Mahalia Jackson and -- maybe influenced by Hilary: he included Niccolo Paganini. If you listen to the broadcast, when he announced Paganini, you'll hear a tiny handful of audience members howl, "WOOOHOOO!" - that was us in the violin contingent. Hilary and Chris charmed everyone with Paganini's "Cantabile" for violin and guitar (mandolin, in this case). Later, Hilary played one more solo, the lyrical "Mercy" by Max Richter, from her Encores album, In 27 Pieces. Of course, Hilary was not the only artist on the show, there was more talent than I can write about! Fiona Apple was a treat -- I've long been a fan of her rather dark songs, with their combined daring and fragility. Fiona's popularity also seemed to grow as the show proceeded. And Nick Offerman's Rainbow Ode to his wife is certainly a must-hear; it is indescribably funny. In the end, I'm more than happy to see the roster opened to classical musicians on A Prairie Home Companion, and Chris Thile is a musician's musician, playing back-up to his guests both metaphorically and literally. I'd go to every show just to see that. Again, if you'd like to hear the show, you can listen to it on the Prairie Home Companion website

Backstage after the show - Violinist.com editor Laurie Niles with Hilary Hahn and Chris Thile.

You might also like:

• Violinist.com interview with Hilary Hahn: In 27 Pieces, the Hilary Hahn Encores
• Violinist.com Interview with Chris Thile: Bach Sonatas and Partitas, on Mandolin
• Here's How to See Hilary Hahn on a Prairie Home Companion This Weekend

The Week in Reviews, Op. 204: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; James Ehnes; Joshua Bell

October 30, 2017, 2:09 pm

≫ Next: Proofreading Paganini: Fixing Two Centuries of Errors in the 24 Caprices

≪ Previous: Hilary Hahn on A Prairie Home Companion: A Win for Classical Music

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By Laurie Niles: In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed works by Schoenberg and Mozart with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

• Pioneer Press: "Patricia Kopatchinskaja is accomplishing something that some classical music traditionalists likely thought impossible: She’s making the music of Arnold Schoenberg fun."

Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Photo by Marina Saanishvili.

James Ehnes performed the Barber with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

• Chicago Tribune: "I was taken aback by the wealth of singing tone the consummate Canadian virtuoso drew from his 1715 “Marsick” Stradivarius. The sound glistened when he soared above the staff, becoming marvelously throaty in the low register. Yet this high degree of expressive warmth never devolved into sticky excess; rather, it honored the musical inspiration that makes this one of the truly great American violin concertos."
• Chicago Classical Review: "James Ehnes proved a simpatico soloist for this music, his slender, silvery tone ideal for Barber’s brand of melancholy lyricism. "

Joshua Bell performed Bernstein's Serenade with the New York Philharmonic.

• The New York Times: "Mr. Bell brought glowing sound and a beautifully reflective quality to the monologue-like violin writing of the first movement, and fleet, articulate grace to the racing Presto."
• New York Classical Review: "Bell seemed to acknowledge, in an updated way, the sweet tone of earlier-era violinists such as Isaac Stern, for whom this piece was written in 1954."

Isabelle van Keulen performed Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

• The Age: "...her mastery of this unsettling composition – two slow movements surrounding a very fast centrepiece – became evident through the opening luminous cantilena, then its progress into demanding passage-work and ornate virtuosic declamation. A rewarding and confidently negotiated reading."

Baiba Skride performed the Sibelius with the San Francisco Symphony.

• The San Francisco Chronicle: "Skride, a Latvian violinist who made a powerful debut in Davies Symphony Hall on Thursday afternoon, plays with a combination of dramatic intensity and tonal heft that reinforce each other. There’s no way to listen to her play without feeling that something consequential is afoot."

Jessica Linnebach performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

• Edmonton Journal: "Linnebach was the ideal soloist. Her approach was very much as first among equals, blending her tone in, undemonstrative and yet purposeful, and with a touch of playfulness in the third movement."

Nicola Benedetti performed he Marsalis with the San Diego Symphony.

• The San Diego Union-Tribune: "Marsalis’ concerto is a sprawling mess where musical ideas hop around like beads of water on a hot griddle and evaporate just as quickly."

Gil Shaham performed the Tchaikovsky with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

• The Philadelphia Inquirer: "His sound had great presence, which carried his deeply gorgeous tone. There was nothing extravagant in the phrasing, and tempos were traditional — though he was such a speed demon in the last few minutes of the first movement, it was almost funny what light work he made of it."

Mayuko Kamio performed the Khachaturian with Symphony Silicon Valley.

• San Francisco Classical Voice: "She played with an ultra-dry and unresonant timbre, produced with smooth consistency. Oistrakh had a similar style, actually, but Kamio amps up the technique to 11. This strong and strange sound came off something like a monophonic 78-rpm record played on a first-rate hi-fi system. Kamio proved her purpose intentional by unleashing a kaleidoscope of bizarre tone colors on her encore, Paganini’s 24th Caprice."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can! You might also like:

• Review: Nicola Benedetti Performs Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto in LA Phil Premiere
• Review: Joshua Bell Performs Bernstein 'Serenade' with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
• Violinist.com interview with James Ehnes

Proofreading Paganini: Fixing Two Centuries of Errors in the 24 Caprices

October 30, 2017, 7:42 pm

≫ Next: To be: Ivry Gitlis going strong at 95

≪ Previous: The Week in Reviews, Op. 204: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; James Ehnes; Joshua Bell

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By Laurie Niles: The reason why violinist Endre Granat decided to create his own edition of the 24 Caprices by Niccolo Paganini was very simple: "Every time I had a student come and play a Paganini Caprice, I had to spend half of the time correcting the music," Granat said, speaking with me at his home in Studio City, Calif. earlier this year. "Not the playing, but the music!"Why? Most editions of the 24 Caprices contain a host of errors, including wrong notes, changed bowings, misplaced accidentals, misleading tempo markings, and more. The widely-used International Edition, in particular, has been called out on a number of occasions for its inaccuracies. "I found that students had gotten used to interpretations that are not inherent in the original manuscript," Granat said. For example, take the beginning of Caprice No. 13, one of the more well-known and commonly-played Caprices. For many years, a majority of people used an edition that started this Caprice with two eighth notes slurred, while the manuscript shows two staccato eighth notes under a slur. "These are totally different things!" Granat said. "It misleads you. Which is why the 13th Caprice -- which is all up-bow, off-string, staccato in the first part of the Caprice -- is usually played like a dirge." Because so many editions in the past showed these smooth slurs, "it's totally misinterpreted. You would never do that if you have seen the original." Now that Paganini's original manuscript is posted on IMSLP for all the world to scrutinize over the Internet, it makes no sense to continue to perpetuate these fundamental errors. Granat, who studied the Caprices with Jascha Heifetz, sought to create an edition that was as true as possible to the manuscript, while also incorporating the fingerings, bowings and performance suggestions he learned from Heifetz. Granat, who has had a distinguished career in performing, film recording and teaching, also counts Zoltan Kodaly, Gyorgy Ligeti and Josef Gingold among his teachers. Granat's first plan was to turn to the various urtext editions that have been published. "I thought, I can use the urtext and just put in some decent fingerings - and we are in business," Granat said. "I had the surprise of my life when I found out that the urtext editions are wrong!" "So I went back to the actual manuscript of Paganini," Granat said. "When I started working with the manuscript, it was one discovery after another."

Endre Granat. Photo by Violinist.com.

"Paganini's handwriting is good, it's readable, and he made surprisingly few mistakes," Granat said. "Many of those mistakes are very easily correctable." For example, it's possible to compare sequences, and any shortcuts in Paganini's notations tended to be pretty consistent. Paganini did not publish any of his own compositions until rather late in his life. "Paganini was a great violinist who was very busy playing concerts, then suddenly out of nowhere, in 1817, he showed up at the doorsteps of Ricordi, a famous Italian publisher," Granat said. "That is when he sold his caprices and a couple of other pieces. He was 35 years old. If you think about it, Mozart died when he was 36, and Paganini didn't published a thing until he was 35!" "The Caprices are Op. 1," Granat said. "That doesn't mean this was his first piece ever; it means this was the first piece ever in that kind of setting, in other words, solo violin. He may have had other pieces in his mind for string quartet, for flute, for guitar whatever. But in the print, this is Op. 1, first published work ever. It came out in 1820, three years later." "The interesting part, and the frustrating part, is that by that time, Paganini was off somewhere else playing concerts, and he never once bothered to proofread it," Granat said. "Then after that, the second printing, by the same publisher, came in the 1830s - guess who didn't proofread it again? In his lifetime, there were several editions in Italy, some in France, some in Germany, and a common thread is that Paganini never proofread any of those." Having edited some 20 sheet music editions in his Sevcik series and the Heifetz series, Granat knows well the importance of the proofreading step in the process. Once it goes to print, the errors are no longer correctable, "so it's tremendously important." Adding to the mystery around these works is the fact that the records show no evidence of Paganini ever performing his own caprices. "Paganini never programmed any of his caprices, in his entire lifetime, not before they were published, and not after they were was published," Granat said. "He may have he performed some of them at private parties, or possibly as an encore. But he never programmed a single one of them." Paganini actually had more formal training as a composer than as a violinist, Granat said, because as a violinist, he was largely self-taught. Granat feels that, in many respects, Paganini wrote the Caprices in the mind-frame of a composer. "I don't know who he wrote this for -- but not for himself, he never played it." Writing as a composer, many of the slurs shown in the manuscript indicate phrasing, rather than performance bowings, Granat said. When it comes to fingerings, "somebody put some fingerings in the manuscript," Granat said, but musical historians have ascertained, through graphological tests, that they were not written by Paganini himself. At the same time, Paganini's abilities as a violinist certainly play into what he created in the 24 Caprices, and certain slurs are meant to indicate specific bowings. It takes a knowledgeable violinist to know the difference. Granat, certainly a knowledgeable violinist, literally looked at the manuscript under a magnifying glass. "Certain urtext editions have been edited by musicologists who couldn't quite understand what was happening," Granat said. "For example, they couldn't understand that Paganini was capable of playing a chord in the middle of a slur. They said that's impossible. Because three measures before, the chord came on the downbeat. So they changed it." This example occurs in Caprice No. 4, measures 12-15.

Paganini Caprice No. 4, Measure 12: left, an "urtext" edition; right, the manuscript.

"So suddenly you have an urtext which is not an urtext," Granat said. "It's the lack of attention and the lack of asking somebody capable." It's also helpful to understand how all these editions evolved, historically. First came the two editions by Ricordi - the never-proofread originals. Granat sums those up as "a disaster. The original is bad. The second Ricordi, someone fixed some things, but then made other mistakes." After that came an edition by Breitkopf, which "is very important because that was done by Ferdinand David, who was an excellent musician and violinist," Granat said. "The basis for his edition was the (original) Ricordi. David was an excellent musician, and he looked at that and said, 'It cannot be.' So David fixed some things, but he was not Paganini, he didn't know what Paganini wrote. He wrote something that he thought was good; unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Paganini." Then came about 50 more editions, "all based either on Ferdinand David or they are based on the original edition. In either case, not acceptable, truly not acceptable." The International Edition has been widely available, but again, it strays quite far from the manuscript. "Looking at the Flesch edition -- Flesch was an okay violinist and he certainly was a great pedagogue," Granat said. "His fingerings are quite okay for the time but that was probably printed in 1930 - it's kind of long in the tooth." "Galamian -- the less we talk about, the better," Granat said. It's important to keep a few things in mind about Paganini and his playing. Though he certainly had some special abilities, they were not supernatural or beyond the (literal) reach of a well-trained violinist. Here are some of the unique features of Paganini's playing and approach: He could reach very wide intervals Paganini's ability reach tremendous stretches is legend, but he did employ a few tricks, Granat said. "Paganini, as a matter of habit, tuned the violin up a half-step, every single string. G string occasionally up a minor third, in other words the G would be B flat," Granat said. "Not always, but generally speaking, up a half-step. One of the famous things he could do was to play the four A flats: A flat first finger G string, A flat second finger D string, third finger A string fourth finger E string. Just thinking about it gives me a hernia. But that's not what he played! He played open A flat, and then the other three, which is very easily reachable by the average hand. So, so much for that." So then, how does one reach a 13th, as written in the first and third caprices? Even a 10th is difficult. "I tried it, faked it, did anything I could," Granat said, "until I was at a guitar recital. I looked at the way guitarists play: they reach back and they play with the side of the nail joint on the guitar for the big stretches. I tried it on the violin, and it worked like a charm." He used the entire fingerboard "Paganini went from one end of the fingerboard to the other, and not just on one string but on all of them," Granat said. "He was instigating the change of the Baroque instrument into a modern instrument: raising the neck, lengthening the fingerboard, changing the bass bar. Those are all Paganini's innovations. By 1850, 10 years after his death, most every violin had been converted, and that is what we use today." "Paganini played on a Guarneri del Gesù, he was the first major violinist who played on a Guarneri del Gesù. Violinists up until that time, up until 20 years before, played on Amatis, Steiners, small Italian instruments. Viotti brought in Stradivari; Paganini brought in Guarneri del Gesù," Granat said. "Paganini has a very small sound because, in order to be able to play on the uppermost positions of the violin, he put the fingerboard up, pulled the bridge down, so there was hardly any room between the fingerboard and the string, so he couldn't press. He played with a very speedy bow and very little pressure." He used harmonics in a way that was innovative for his day "Up until his day, there was no standard notation for harmonics, and if you look at old edition, you will see that the actual sound is notated, leaving the poor violinist to his own devices, in terms of how to play them and where to play them," Granat said. "Paganini didn't just play single-note harmonics; but double-stops and triple stops." He was a master of left-hand pizzicato "He was able to play a melody with his bow, and accompany himself with pizzicato. There are quite a few such compositions of his," Granat said. "The Caprices, on the other hand, don't contain a single note in harmonics, and only one variation, in the 24th Caprice, with a very simple pizzicato." Why is that? "I think the reason was, since this was his Opus 1, he wanted to appear to be a very serious composer who doesn't rely on things like this, which in those days were considered tricks," Granat said. "Today we know they are not 'tricks,' you get a new aspect of violin-playing. But he wanted to appear to be very serious. I don't know whether that's really the case, but that's the only explanation I can find." He used a "transitional" bow "The violin bow as we know it today, the Tourte bow, was developed prior to the French Revolution (the 1790s). Viotti was working together with Tourte to develop the bow. Before the bow as we know it, Tourte made many kinds of bows: shorter ones, longer ones, using different types of wood," Granat said. "Paganini started with a transitional bow: not a Baroque bow at all, but not a modern bow either." Paganini's favorite bow was made by the French bow maker Jacob Eury, a contemporary of Tourte.Paganini used thin strings "He used plain gut E, A, D - that was all that was available - and a wound-gut G. He used amazingly thin strings," Granat said. "I've seen them; they are unbelievably thin. That is yet another reason why Paganini had a small sound. But he used them because the harmonics spoke much better and playing the high notes was much easier on his hand. He didn't have to press down because the string didn't have much resistance." Leopold Auer, the great Russian pedagogue who taught Heifetz, was among the first to espouse the Caprices and use them in his teaching. In turn, Heifetz did the same. Granat remembers what Heifetz used to say to his students: "Bach is the Old Testament, and Paganini is the New Testament." "He gave equal time to both," Granat said. "Paganini was very much core material in Heifetz' class. It was frightening, how he could play any one of them, at any time, without any notice. Every one of them, any part of it! Not like the typical violin teacher who picks up the violin and demonstrates the early, easy part and says, 'etc. etc.' when the notes get dark on the page. He could play those parts also!" He expected the same of his students. If a student protested that something was too difficult, Heifetz simply said, "Go home and practice until it's not difficult!" If a student said, "I can't play it," Heifetz said, "Fine, come back when you can." "You could not say 'I cannot play these,'" Granat said. "If you cannot play these, then don't do it. Do something else, there are many other wonderful professions." Granat's new ediiton is available through Hal Leonard, click here.You might also like:

• Interview with Rachel Barton Pine: Paganini 24 Caprices
• Interview with Endre Granat: Playing Scales Like Jascha Heifetz
• Endre Granat: Prepare to be a Great Violinist

To be: Ivry Gitlis going strong at 95

October 31, 2017, 2:50 pm

≫ Next: For the Record, Op. 35: Anne-Sophie Mutter; Janine Jansen; Robyn Bollinger

≪ Previous: Proofreading Paganini: Fixing Two Centuries of Errors in the 24 Caprices

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By Heather Kurzbauer: Step into the ever-invigorating world of Ivry Gitlis, one of the last poets of the bow whose legacy reaches back to Thibaut and Enescu and forward to Grappelli and the Rolling Stones. Ever vital at 95, Gitlis moves in fast orbit, scrutinizing the cosmos and all things musical with heart and soul, precision and insight. Mixing glib one-liners with philosophical deconstruction, he touched down in Amsterdam for two hectic days filled by a television appearance with the opulently gifted Daniel Rowland and master classes at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. This magician of the musical craft is as apt to deliberate on democracy and individuality, as he is to polish a single musical phrase. Challenging a packed hall at the Conservatory with observations such as “our intelligence often interferes with…our intelligence: do not let your head get in the way of your heart, and vice-versa,” Gitlis motivated the crowd and four skillful performers to cross into uncharted territory.

Ivry Gitlis. Photo by Ben Bonouvrier>

Tips to control nerves and enhance control proliferated as one-liners meshed with anecdotes. A small modicum of scrutiny reveals that Gitlis’ jokes encode deeper messages. “A man comes to the doctor and says, “I think I might have Alzheimer’s’; the doctor answers, ‘so, forget about it.’” Amid laughs, we are prepared to delve into an analysis on what to forget, and what to remember with the mantra that music has the power to break, build, change and unite, beating like a drum. A sketch on the iconic, Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter brought the message home: be prepared. “Richter always ran onstage, it was as if he could not control his desire to go out in front of the public and play, he literally almost jumped on the piano. I asked myself how he could have had the élan to do this night after night. One day I saw him backstage with a book of encores on his lap. He was calmly leafing through, mentally taking notes quietly, with concentration. He was preparing for that run onto the stage.” And, from Marion Anderson, Gitlis learned that it is the split second before one starts to perform that really counts. While a throng of disappointed spectators milled around outside the hall (the Conservatory opted to hold the class in its small hall) the voyage inside intensified. “Violin playing is schizophrenic in its very essence. Consider, the right hand does not do what the left hand does, but (with a laugh) it certainly has to know. And now, think about this: we are living in a world that is in complete contradiction with what we play. The three Bs, Vitali, Debussy, Stravinsky ---what would they think if they stepped out into the world of today? Nonetheless, it is better to study at a conservatory, a music factory than work in a war factory like I did.” In response to a solid rendition of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, Gitlis attempted to coax Hawijch Elders to play with more freedom of expression, greater elasticity of sound. To avoid ‘creeping’ portamento and realize legato, Gitlis spun images of the Aurora Borealis while stressing the urgency that lies beneath the act of performance. “When we play it is a question of life and death. If you allow yourself to feel a phrase in its totality, it will take you to where you want to go.” Humming the opening of the slow movement, Gitlis continued, “Music is never static. When you go to the seaside, walk to the edge of the water to experience the natural ebb and flow, the rhythm of life, that is where you will find inner rhythm, lithe tempi.” Gesturing largely, he offered a piece of technical advice. “Contrary to what so many of us do, more bow does not lead to more intensity in terms of sound, less bow equals greater intensity.” Singing along with the opening phrase, he prodded further, “never be afraid of the music, I should feel from the first note that you are leading me.” Taking a trip down memory lane, “when I was 14, I took lessons with Enescu, which really means that I did not play for him, but with him. He sat behind the piano and led me, just as music should lead you. We exchanged ideas, he never ever dictated.” No stranger to the stage, the 16 year-old mega talent, Noa Wildschut is a Warner Classics artist and one of the privileged members of Anne Sophie Mutter’s Virtuosi. Her Bruch Violin Concerto shone with commendable originality not to speak of splendid panache. Gitlis was not convinced by her choice for a drawn out opening phrase. “You know you are a great fiddler, but don’t show it too much. My mother told me: a beautiful girl cannot give you more than she has. You have a tendency to look for more, you have a large musical personality but the phrase is right next to you. It is often more difficult to play for one person than one thousand, make sure you know exactly what you want and then expand the territory to include the audience. I understand your wish to communicate but please realize: if you stop too much within a phrase, you lose its vibrant force.” Sylvia Huang, who joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s first violin section at 18 in 2014, wowed the overflowing hall with her extraordinary musical integrity and finely wrought phrasing. Answering to Gitlis’ beck and call, she moved forward from her prepared Ysaye sonata to two additional works that she had not prepared for the occasion: a bewitching rendition of Paganini’s Caprice #17 and an opulently phrased Adagio from Bach’s g minor sonata. In an attempt to get to the bottom of ‘who is Sylvia’, Gitlis took on the role of the empowering Zen master asking: ‘are you content with yourself? Why are you playing this often ungrateful instrument?’ Shyly, she answered that she wanted to have an idea of a piece and be able to present that idea while playing. Gitlis: “Be resolute, you need the idea before you are onstage. Some things will find you when you are onstage and of course you have to be free of all contingencies while on stage to discover the range of possibilities, but first, you must have a well-worked out plan, a shining idea.” With his uncanny powers of observation, Gitlis sensed her reserve and offered a helping hand. “All of us are lonely. Your loneliness is natural, we all wrestIe with it. As the saying goes, I am never so lonely when crowded, never so crowded when lonely.” The message of music as a moving life force persisted as Gitlis asked the young performers if they improvise. Holding high the flag of imagination and ingenuity, he advocates maximum experimentation and breaks the mold of the pedagogue who tells a student what to do or what not to do. “To improvise gives us the gift of letting an idea flow.” Lara Boschkor 18 years young and a prize-winner at several major competitions gave an athletic technically impressive rendition of Paganini’s 1st violin concerto but when asked to play Bach continued on with more Paganini, somewhat lost in translation. Her introversion prevented her from communicating with Gitlis who demands answers to probing questions. “Music goes beyond technique. A note is like a breath, the Indians teach. And, you have only a certain defined number of breaths to live. So, when you make music, in a certain way you give life.” Decades spent on stage provided more grist for the Gitlis mill. With a twinkle in his eye, Gitlis shared: if you play a rehearsal and someone says that was wonderful, just repeat it tonight; I know I am in trouble. I get even more nervous because none of us can ever repeat ourselves.” Eschewing the idea of the myth of the artist, Gitlis maintains, “things are more banal than we think, we all have some talent. Everyone in this room has talent, the whole world has talent.” Expanding further, he embraces a humanistic viewpoint in which democracy is the key point to inspire individuality. “Live your life to the fullest, grasp this life with both hands.” Looking forward, Gitlis is experimenting with the idea of a program dedicated to the music of Beethoven, as the composer would have heard it. To quote his beloved Shakespeare, ‘to be or not to be.’ Let music win the day, take a listen to Gitlis, writer’s choice:

For the Record, Op. 35: Anne-Sophie Mutter; Janine Jansen; Robyn Bollinger

November 2, 2017, 10:24 am

≫ Next: V.com weekend vote: Should audience members be permitted to clap between movements?

≪ Previous: To be: Ivry Gitlis going strong at 95

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By Laurie Niles: Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!Schubert: Forellenquintett - Trout Quintet (Live)Anne-Sophie Mutter, violinDaniil Trifonov, pianoHwayoon Lee, violaMaximilian Hornung, celloRoman Patkoló, bass

Anne-Sophie Mutter and friends (mentored through the The Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation) perform Schubert’s famous Trout Quintet, as well as several other chamber works by Schubert. "I have always been quite disturbed that so many of our wonderful colleagues play the theme from the fourth movement as if the trout has been dead for several centuries," Mutter said. "But if you read the text of the song from which Schubert takes his theme, the trout is as fast as an arrow! He doesn’t use the sequence where the trout is killed. No – the trout is there wiggling its tail and having a great time. When the ‘Trout’ theme returns, it’s an Allegretto, even faster than the original Andantino. There’s esprit and exuberant joy in this music. It’s one of Schubert’s sunniest pieces." BELOW: Excerpts and conversation with Mutter about recording the "Trout."

Messiaen: Quatuor pour la Fin du TempsJanine Jansen, violinMartin Fröst, clarinetThorleif Thedéen, celloLucas Debargue, piano

Olivier Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time" was conceived and performed in a concentration camp, despite an almost impossible set of circumstances. Clarinetist Martin Fröst and violinist Janine Jansen first met 16 years ago and the first piece they ever played together was the Quartet for the End of Time. This piece left them with a deep sense of connection; they were just waiting for the right time and circumstances to record it. This ensemble will perform the quartet live on Dec. 7 at Carnegie Hall. BELOW: An excerpt from the quartet.

Ciaccona: The Bass of TimeRobyn Bollinger, violin

BELOW: Boston-based violinist Robyn Bollinger's debut solo album tells the story of one of the oldest musical ideas: the Chaconne, based on the concept of the repeating bass line. The album includes Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber's Passacaglia, Johann Sebastian Bach's Ciaccona from Partita No. 2 in d minor, Béla Bartók's Tempo di Ciaccona from Sonata for Solo Violin, and Luciano Berio's Sequenza VIII. BELOW: Excerpts and conversation with Robyn Bollinger

If you have a new recording you would like us to consider for inclusion in our Thursday "For the Record" feature, please e-mail Editor Laurie Niles. Be sure to include the name of your album, a link to it and a short description of what it includes.You might also like:

• For the Record, Op. 33: James Ehnes; Brooklyn Rider; Z.E.N Trio
• Violinist.com interview with Anne-Sophie Mutter (about her foundation)
• Starling-DeLay Day One: Nurturing excellence (Robyn Bollinger)