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In Defense of Timothée Chalamet
Maybe you've seen it: it's a short clip of the famous young actor Timothée Chalamet trashing ballet and opera, saying quite unequivocally that "no one cares any more" about these art forms.
I mean, ouch.
Between Facebook and Instagram, I've been shown this clip more than a dozen times, and it's been sent to me by friends. I've also seen dozens of reactions to the clip - quite clever ones by friends and colleagues in classical music, opera and ballet, who have written poems, made short videos, danced, sang. The Seattle Opera ran promotion for an upcoming performance of Carmen, posting on Instagram, "use promo code TIMOTHEE to save 14% off select seats for Carmen, through this weekend only. Timmy, you're welcome to use it too." The Met made a special video in response.
Chalamet certainly hit a sore spot. But let's be honest here, the Internet has zeroed in on us and done what it does best: Amplify something taken out of context and stoked our rage. (Curiously, my non-classical music friends are seeing little to none of this on their feeds.)
Is the rage beyond what this incident deserves? I decided I wanted to see where this comment came from, what was the context?
So I watched the entire hour-long interview between Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey from which this 10-second clip was captured. The interview was posted to YouTube Feb. 24, part of the Variety & CNN "Actors on Actors" series, filmed at The University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication, with an audience of film students. (If you wish to watch it yourself, click here.) Keep reading...
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For the Record, Op. 372: Midori, Pekka Kuusisto, Daniel Lozakovich
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! Click on the highlighted links to obtain each album or learn more about the artists.
Schumann Violin Concerto
Midori, violin
Festival Strings Lucerne, Daniel Dodds conducting
Özgur Aydin, piano
At the center of the album is Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D Minor, composed in 1853 but withheld from publication for more than 80 years after Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim questioned its place within his legacy. Long clouded by its troubled history and a problematic 1937 premiere, the concerto has only recently gained recognition as a powerful and distinctive late work. The program also includes Robert Schumann’s Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102, and Three Romances, Op. 94, alongside Clara Schumann’s Five Romances, Op. 22, dedicated to Joachim and now fully restored to the repertoire after decades of neglect. "In preparing this album, I sought not only to honor the historical and musical context of these works, but also to share with listeners the deeply human aspects of Schumann’s late music: the intimacy, the struggle, and the moments of fragile hope," Midori said. BELOW: From Robert Schumann's Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102: I. Mit Humor.
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A Beautiful Film About Horrifying Events: Lara St. John's Documentary 'Dear Lara'
On February 6, I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of the documentary film Dear Lara at the 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film, by world-class violinist Lara St. John, explores sexual abuse and its repercussions in the classical music world.
As a violinist myself, I crossed paths with Lara many years ago, during our time as attendees of the ENCORE School for Strings in Hudson, Ohio in the mid-to-late 1980s. Last month's festival was actually the first time I had ever attended a film premiere, and the energy outside the theater on State Street was undeniable.
As I arrived that evening, I felt a bit conflicted. After all, it was exciting to be attending such a premiere, and I was pleased to see Lara in her element, looking fabulous, and appearing thrilled about this important event. However, I also was well aware of the difficult subject matter that would be covered in this documentary, and I wasn’t sure if I should be enjoying myself in this moment.
Though I had seen a trailer earlier that day, I didn’t know quite what to expect from the documentary. I anticipated some back story of Lara’s childhood and a recounting of the horrible sexual assaults she endured, followed by a series of stories about other victims of sexual abuse.
I was not expecting the degree of personal and artistic immersion that Lara brought to this documentary, nor that her expertise in film-making would be on par with her expertise as a violinist. Not only did Lara direct the film, but she also composed and performed original music for the documentary — riveting music, and beautifully performed by Lara. She also conducted all of the film's interviews, including several victims and administrators of various institutions.
In the end, I was deeply moved by this film, and I was struck by its engaging arc, its beauty, and how effective and compelling the flow was, especially given the difficult subject matter. In short, my overwhelming feeling as the credits rolled was that this was a truly beautiful film about horrifying events.
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Interview with Isabelle Faust: Schumann's Otherworldly Violin Concerto
I've been a fan of violinist Isabelle Faust for a long time.
She is one of the finest violinists out there, with a career that has spanned some 40 years. She quietly has built a strong solo career and impressive discography that includes some 50+ recordings of absolutely stunning quality, often with her longtime chamber partner, pianist Alexander Melnikov.
If you hear her 2010 recording of the Bartok solo sonata, she seems to be an expert in contemporary music. If you hear her just-released recording of Mozart Sonatas with classical period instruments, you might assume she is a Mozart specialist. Same for her recordings of Locatelli, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Stravinsky, Schoenberg...the list is long. I fell completely in love with her playing, listening to her 2008 recording of the Fauré sonata (the second movement especially) - a fabulous performance by a great pair of artists. I was mesmerized from the start.
I long have wanted to hear Isabelle Faust in live performance, and at last I will get the chance when she comes to the United States this month for two pairs of concerts on opposite sides of the country: first performing the Robert Schumann Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Dinis Sousa (March 12 and 14, more info here), then Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Kevin John Edusei (March 19 and 21, more information here).
In anticipation of her visit here, I enjoyed a wide-ranging interview with Isabelle via Zoom. We talked about her youth as the daughter of two enthusiastic amateurs, her very early experience in a serious childhood string quartet, going from second violinist to concert soloist, and her thoughts on Robert Schumann's lost-and-found violin concerto, one of the troubled composer's final pieces.
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