Comments

Joshua Bell made one of the points you did: Technique is difficult, sometimes dazzling, but it's not the most important thing in music. Technique is something close to athletics, for example, running the four minute mile. The really important thing about music, he said, is conveying moods or emotions to the listeners.

I especially liked his playing of Tzigane followed by None But the Lonely Heart. Those must have been some very athletic, assertive gypsies. The next piece was so sweet and melancholy. It worked its way right into my heart and made me cry. It also took my breath away -- literally. I had a mild asthma attack, something that strong emotions can precipitate in me.

One of my young students (the prodigious 6 year old) watched this program last night. He got furious when Josh Bell mentioned during the interview that he doesn't consider Kreisler a virtuoso. I thought it was funny how such a young child took a remark very seriously and said, "Well Josh can't play Kreisler's music anyway".

I'm not a big fan of Lorin Maazel. But a comment he said during the interview had me develop alot more respect for him. When Renee Fleming asked "Do you think the musicians of today are respecting composer more by adhering to the instructions by the composers?" Maazel answered "I think we're being DISRESPECTFUL. The composers composed the music during their era taking into consideration that there will be individual interpretations with use of rubato, etc."

I especially liked Maazel's description of the trend in violin playing today as being "antiseptic". ;) I watched it, but my brother and I wouldn't allow ourselves to watch Intro/Rondo because he's playing it with the KC Symphony in... uh... 17 days. Haha. I liked "Leibesleid" best too I think, and he played if so very smoothly. It was "Bolero" however, and that 'tap-tap-duh-luh tap' never ending I found equally nice, as an environment without effort that can be really whatever one imagines, or nothing at all. Laurie, you and I seem to come from similar family backgrounds. Because I have been playing since I was a child, people have always asked me if I come from a "musical family", as if musical ability is a genetic inheritance. I reply with the truth; "My parents can't play a radio." I play in a string quartet and my dad asks, "Who plays the banjo?" He thinks a string quartet is comprised of a fiddle, banjo, guitar and bass.

Having said that, when I called my mom last night, she was enjoying Joshua Bell's performance. As a Kreisler fan, I enjoyed "Liebeslied" and "Libesfreud" very much. Bell did a good job on Ravel's "Tzigane" as well.

Maybe our parents should go to concerts together. Happy New Year!

Bolero: the world's longest crescendo. I especially liked Maazel's description of the trend in violin playing today as being "antiseptic"

My former teacher used to say this too haha

Laurie, my two-year-old daughter loved the "Tzigane" too. She was screaming and fussing during the interviews about how it was "boring" and asking me to put in her penguin video instead, but as soon as Josh started in with the first notes, she sat transfixed for the whole piece, then joined the TV audience in clapping and made her stuffed cow clap too. If anyone can reach the "music Muggles", it's Joshua Bell.