By Laurie Niles: "I think Brahms wants a real, human protagonist - a hero that can also get into dangerous situations!" - German violinist Christian Tetzlaff, speaking about the Brahms Violin Concerto.
Here is Part 1 from the wonderful conversation that I had with Tetzlaff when he came to Los Angeles to perform the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), in December 2023. The interview was done in collaboration with LACO.
In this interview, Christian Tetzlaff talks about how the music of Brahms connected him to his dearest friend and musical partner, the pianist Lars Vogt, and how Brahms has also helped him cope with the pain and loss, when Vogt died of cancer at the age of 51 in 2022.
Tetzlaff also talks about performance practices, when it comes to playing the Brahms Violin Concerto - how he disagrees with the way violinist have softened it in performance traditions over the years, in their efforts to make it more controllable and comfortable. "A lot of the simple joy is taken out," so that you always feel that the soloist is the "king" in front, and nothing can disturb him. "Whereas, I would assume Brahms wants to see me greatly disturbed by many things - the abysses, the pianissimos - disappearing, the wide cascades of trills," Tetzlaff said. "I think he wants a real, human protagonist - a hero that can also get into dangerous situations."
Please enjoy!
NOTE: We will post Part 2 of this interview next Wednesday (May 1)!
You might also like:
- Interview with Violinist Christian Tetzlaff: the Loving Hand of Brahms
- Review: Violinist Christian Tetzlaff Performs Brahms with LACO
- Violin Master Class with Christian Tetzlaff at the Colburn School
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