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Talking with 10 Makers and Testing Their Violins and Bows
What an honor it is, to try the beautifully crafted, brand-new violins and bows featured this week at the Contemporary American Violin Makers Exhibition and Sale by Metzler Violin Shop in Glendale, Calif.
I went on Tuesday ("violin night") when violinist Moni Simeonov gave a thoughtful demonstration eight bows and 25 violins. (A full video of his demonstration will be available in about two weeks, and I will post it on Violinist.com.) He was truly pulling the sound from each instrument and had a consistent approach to playing each one. There was also a "viola and cello night" Wednesday, featuring demonstations by Drew Forde and Robert deMaine.
I was impressed to learn that nine of the violin makers and one bow maker had come from as far as Mexico and Canada to see their instruments played, and since I got to meet them, I thought that you should, too! So I interviewed each one of them briefly, then went back the next day to do a short test of test of each their instruments. I have stitched it all together in the following video, so you can see each maker, then hear me take a quick spin on each instrument. I hope you enjoy the result!
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The Week in Reviews, Op. 540: Takács Quartet, Chad Hoopes & Jan Vogler, David Coucheron
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. Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.
The Takács Quartet performed Clarice Assad’s NEXUS at Carnegie's Zankel Hall.
- New York Classical Review: "Clarice Assad’s NEXUS...had the players literally in motion, circling each other onstage like planets trying to form a solar system. But what the Brazilian-born composer called this group’s 'visceral, whole-body approach to musical expression' was in evidence even when they were conventionally seated for quartets by Haydn and Debussy."
Keep reading...
Boston Symphony Orchestra Dismisses Music Director Andris Nelsons
On Friday the Boston Symphony Orchestra announced the dismissal of its Music Director Andris Nelsons, whose tenure will end in summer 2027, following the orchestra's Tanglewood season.
According to multiple sources, Patrons and orchestra members received a letter from the orchestra's board and its CEO Chad Smith explaining that "the decision to not renew his contract was made by the BSO’s board of trustees because, beyond our shared desire to ensure our orchestra continues to perform at the highest levels, the BSO and Andris Nelsons were not aligned on future vision."
Nelsons has served as Music Director of the BSO since 2014. Keep reading...
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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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