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Ida Haendel at McGill

Violinists: Ida Haendel's upcoming master class at McGill.

From Mark L
Posted April 8, 2005 at 06:58 AM

I saw a poster saying that Ida Haendel is giving a free master class at McGill (at pollack hall) this friday at 11.30. I just wanted to inform the montrealers about this, and also to ask what a master class with a famous violinist entails... is it like a recital, or like a public lecture? just wondering...

I haven't been to any master classes before.

From Christian Vachon
Posted on April 8, 2005 at 10:57 AM

Hi,

Wow. Ida Haendel is a fantastic violinist. A masterclass like that will probably be standard. Selected students will play for her and each get a certain amount of time. She will then work with each one, maybe play bits of stuff for them along with sharing her ideas on the student's playing and of the composition played. Wish I could be there!

Cheers!

From Christina C.
Posted on April 8, 2005 at 06:06 PM

ack ack ack!
I heard about this last week & decided that although I couldn’t go for the whole thing, I’d try to catch some of it on my lunch break…. then I forgot all about until I saw this message at…..12:30. So snarfed down the rest of my lunch & beat it over there to catch the last 10 minutes. Argh! Based on the little I caught, I should’ve gone for the whole thing, everyone around here takes long lunches on Friday anyway.

When I arrived a student was playing the opening measures of the Ravel Tzigane, with Ms Haendel clapping the beats and pointing out that she was rushing the upbeats. She then took the student’s violin & from then on all of the playing was done by Ms Haendel… and what playing! For the second time in as many times hearing her, I was (dumb)struck by how perfect her octaves are. You can barely make out that she’s playing 2 notes.

I managed to grab a programme on the way out: there were 4 students, the other pieces were Ysaye’s Ballade, the first movement of the Debussy sonata, and the Bach Chaconne, which I would’ve loved to hear because I heard Ms. Haendel play it 2 years ago. Argh.

I’m off to check the local music happenings to make sure I’m not missing something else!

From Mark L
Posted on April 8, 2005 at 07:25 PM

Great class. Ms. Haendel has amazing wisdom and a great sense of humour. When she removed all of her jewelry to play at the start, she said to the audience "I'm not doing a striptease."

The Chaconne was performed excellently and sensitively by the student, however Ms. Haendel disagreed with his breaking of the chords and played an interesting alternate version, although I felt sorry for her because she borrowed a not-so-great violin from the audience that had a termperamental e-string. But the contrast between the student's baroque sensibilities and Ms. Haendel's more Heifetz-like approach was fascinating, as both were appealing and valid in their own ways.

The Ysaye ballade was very well performed also, although Ms. Haendel confessed to not 'identifying' with Ysaye's music, so she kept her comments to minor suggestions in favour of a less impressionistic, more clear interpretation of the melodic line.

The Debussy performance was perhaps the weakest of the four, but still quite nice; it is one of my fave sonatas. Ida had some excellent suggestions, again in favour of a simple, bold statement of the melodic line instead of too much "atmospheric" interplay with the inherently dominant piano. Here more than elsewhere her comments got a successful reception with the student, who played the opening again with MUCH improvement.

The Tzigane was bold and fun, well performed by the student, and yes, Ms. Haendel truly came alive in playing some short passages with stunning technical perfection (LIGHTNIN' fast arpeggios and perfect ocatves). The student's violin was an excellent instrument and Ms. haendel felt more at home on it than on the previous ones. She also made some insightful comments into the nature of real versus imitation gypsy technique, mildly mocking those who slide in illogical places and apply rubato indiscriminately, making the case for a strong rhtymic pulse. I learned the extreme importance of a rhytmic pulse in every piece, even more freeform, solo-istic ones.

So that's my summary. A lot of fun, she is a great teacher and player.

From Pieter Viljoen
Posted on April 9, 2005 at 02:55 AM

Amazing class, wonderful playing.

Emmanuel Vukovich, the first one to play really impressed me. Wonderful performance.

The Ysaye was good, but kind of static and uninspired to me. However the girl who played is not in university yet.

In defence of the girl who played the Debussy, she was given that sonata expressly for the purposes of that masterclass, and she didn't have much time to prepare. When the concert master of the Toronto Symphony did a master class last year, her performance was the strongest of the lot.

I loved the Tzigane, amazing playing. Handael completely knocked my socks off when she played for us. I can't believe how good she is.

Mark, do you go to McGill?

From Mark L
Posted on April 9, 2005 at 01:21 PM

yes, but in history. I wish I could have gone for violin, though, as it is basically the only pursuit I enjoy. Oh well...

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on April 9, 2005 at 01:46 PM

She didn't bring a violin of her own?

From Mark L
Posted on April 9, 2005 at 02:02 PM

nope... she basically used the student's violin in all but the first case, in which she borrowed a not-too-pretty sounding one.

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on April 9, 2005 at 03:20 PM

My first thought was wow what self-confidence, but it's probably natural to people who've spent a lot of time teaching.

From Christian Vachon
Posted on April 9, 2005 at 04:21 PM

Hi,

I think that is a habit inherited from her teacher Flesch. He rarely demonstrated on his instrument but used the student's. Szeryng often did that too in his masterclasses. I guess it depends on each person's approach.

Cheers!

From Pieter Viljoen
Posted on April 10, 2005 at 03:37 AM

Ida Haendal came to the McGill performance of the Verdi requiem tonight... (fantastic performance).

I could see her from stage, she was dressed outrageously. She has a lot of spunk for someone so well advanced in age.

From Ole Borneman Bull
Posted on June 13, 2005 at 08:05 AM

I just heard a rare recording of Ida Haendel playing the Brahms concerto under Sergiu Celibidache from
1953. What an amazing, inspired performance that was! Rock solid rhythm, beautiful tone, articulated runs, perfect double-stopping, and incisive bowing.
It is one of the best performances of the Brahms I have ever heard, if not the best. I don't know where you can find it, but I'll tell you, it's worth finding.

From Alexandra Soumm
Posted on June 14, 2005 at 04:18 PM

Ida Haendel is just amazing !! she came to france one day, i was also there,i came to the concert, but it was a long time ago, so i dont remeber WHAT she played. but she had SOOO high heels, and a pink dress !! that made me laught so much... she has great sence of humour,as i came in to congratulate her she was like: "so wich languige shall we speak? French English, Hebrew?" :) that was hilarious...

From Gon Zo
Posted on June 15, 2005 at 05:19 AM

I heard she brings her little dog to some of her master classes :)

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on June 15, 2005 at 05:32 AM

My only exposure is A of V. I'm beginning to think it didn't begin to do the lady justice :)

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