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May 15, 2005 at 11:33 PM

Everubody in violin world is talking about the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Actually not only in violin world. A couple days ago I had a doctors appointment and when I told her I was a violinist, the doctor immediately asked me about the Queen Elisabeth Competition, which I could proudly report her to just have returned from. Everybody ofcourse wants to know what I think, who is going to win, and who is not.

Having been a participant at this competition and knowing people for already quite some time who played in the semis and some of them making it to the finals, I just want to say, that everybody accomplished enormous amount, regardless from the results. Today I was on the phone with a Russian violinist, who also did not get through the first round, but she learned a whole lot from it. For some people on that stage (1st round or semis), it was like being at war, dealing with nerves and all, and they did not play their best, but they have an enormous potential. Others found themselves in the flow, everything working for them and still they did not advance to a next round. I think every single participant at this competition should be applauded for preparing this amount of repertoire, but even more for having the guts to go on stage. Because it is probably the most observed competition for violin that excists. In a sense the jury is secondary to what is really happening, in the bigger picture for me at least. Look at it this way; There are at least 135 violinist out there, passionate (all in their own way) about music and with that something great is accomplished. Participants came from Cuba, New Zealand, South Africa, so many nations from all corners of the world were represented all with one common goal, to make music as best as they could at that particular moment. Every single one of us played as good as we could at that moment, and therefor everybody gave their best. I think that's the real beauty about competitions, we just sometimes get so caught up in who we find better players then the others. Honestly, if I would have been sitting there in the chair of the jury, I don't know whom I would have picked. But that is not the important thing. For me I learned so much watching others, seeing some incredible left hands, bow division, and sometimes things that I don't agree with musically, but help me define even more clear what kind of musician I would like to be, what I would like my sound to be. Or sometimes somebody will be having a technical problem and I ask myself what I would be telling them, if I was their teacher. None of these musicians in the finals are perfect, and neither are we commenters. But it is the way they / we deal with their / our imperfection that gives them that personal edge, their sound, their way of communicating with the audience as one human to another.
Music is not about perfection, it is about humans. And humans react differently to different things. I get angry when I read in the papers that a jury chose for technical perfection over musicality in one round and that same newspaper prints with the next round that those same people lack technical abilities, even wondering if 12 people should have passed on to the finals. Maybe sometimes it is easier to say negative things about players or a jury, than find the positives. Maybe not everybody is a "seasoned" as this newspaper would like, but if we only would let the "seasoned" players perform, how does one get the experience? There is a difference between Khatchatryan at 15 and now, 5 years later.
Let's, next week, be looking and listening to 12 young people who are on a stage, wanting to share their story with us. Let's not be one of those listeners that want that story to fit our box. I am sure, when we, as an audience, take on a curious and encouraging role a little bit more often, we might find ourselves also transported into little musical wonders a little bit more often.

Carla, I certainly agree with what you said. I have tremendous respect for everyone with the courage and determination to participate in the competition. It's wonderful that there was so much talent from all over the world there. Music can bring people closer together, while so many things put people into conflict with each other. I also like what you said about imperfection. We're all imperfect, and the ways we deal with our imperfections make us special as individuals. Our world puts so much emphasis on perfection. Thanks for reminding me of the value of imperfection.
Well said. The process reminds me of those lumberjack contests we get on TV here. Maybe the same degree of removal from its basis. I sense people on this site are treating it like a ball game, which I can appreciate.

I think a lot of reviewers are kept on because they just create a buzz. If they really want "seasoned" performances they should clamor for contests with a reverse cutoff age of 40. That might be even more interesting I think.

Carla, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree and it was very inspiring to read your words.
You are so right. Music is about humans and not about perfection. I admire all of you.
Thanks, Carla, that was well said.
I must say I was a little confused when I heard the decision of the jury, who got into the semi-finals. There were people who didn't make it into the semi-finals who played really interesting and who put a spell on me, who had an amazing vibrato and intonation. Not everyone who made it into the final has this qualities. Even Khachatryan played out of tune in the cadenza of his Mozart concerto. I was a little disappointed, but I hope the public will continue to support the real artists, even if they didn't make it into the semi-finals or the final.
I think Carla's blog here is one of the most important writings by any musician that I have read in a long time. I think it's something that we all end up losing sight of. Thank you Carla- this really opened my eyes.
Delibor Karvay as 13th finalist of the Elisabeth violincompetition in Brussel
I think the jury of the Elisabeth violin competition in Brussel made a mistake not letting the Slowakian 19 year old Delibor Karvay in the final of Elisabeth. Perhaps he can play on 20 may as 13 th finalists or at 17.00 one dag during the finals from 21 till 28 may, which are from 20.15 each day with 2 candidates, because his bowing is better than Mikhail Ovrutschy (who played some false notes in the semi’s) and Andreas Janke? In an athletic competition they have 9 lanes for the case 2 persons in the semi-finals have the same time, so that not 8 but 9 people can compete in the final. I was not the only persons with irritations about Dalibor, although I have not seen all the candidates, but many. Also Mark Janssens of KLARA-radio was irritated that Dalibor Karvay was not in the final (teletekstpage 836 of Belgian television Canvas) I have seen Delibar Karvay in the first round en twice in de semi-finals (for his Mozart-concerto and the rest of his semi-finals program) and he played very well both his left and right hand. I thought that Delibor Karvay and Sergei Khachatatryan were the favorites for the first and second place in the final. I heard you in the first round Carla (Ik heb je in de eerste ronde gehoord Carla, knap hoor, bravo, klap, klap, klap. Ik heb nog met m’n voeten geroffeld.)
Beste Bram, Mijn punt was dus om in plaats van naar de negatieve factoren te kijken naar de positieve factoren. Wat als Mischa dit leest, dat helpt zijn vertrouwen om gewoon lekker muziek te maken natuurlijk niet echt. Karvay is een hele goede speler en er is meer plaats in de wereld van muziek dan alleen de 12 finalisten van het Koninging Elisabeth Concours.
Hoi Carla, bedankt voor je reactie. Inderdaad omdat ik het concours van de Belgische tv kende, ben ik er een paar keer heengegaan, want ik wilde wel eens een (bekend) concours meemaken. Mijn motivatie is het om al die verschillende caprices van Paganini eens in de concertzaal te horen en die sonates van Bach, die ik op mijn onprofessionele nivo ook eens geprobeerd heb. Ook die Ysaye in de halve finales, die ik al van een cd kende, wilde ik in de concertzaal eens horen, allemaal los van het nivo of de technische en muzikale inperfecties van de instrumentalisten. Dat concourswinaars het niet altijd maken is natuurlijk niet nieuw voor jou, zoals bijvoorbeeld Janine Jansen bij Oscar Back 3e werd, maar bekender is geworden dan Sonja van Beek. Verder is zo’n concours een momentopname, net als een auditie en blijft het een jury”sport”, waarbij je anders dan hardlopers niet op tijd kan selecteren. Dat vioolconcert van Dvorak had ik al eens begeleid als 2e viool en nu als 1e viool in een ander orkest. Helaas spelen veel finalisten weer die bekende vioolconcerten van Bruch (1e), Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, 3e Siant-Saens, Tsjaikovsky, die ik al in menig amateurorkestje begeleid heb en ik de concertzalen van beroepsorkesten heb gehoord. Maar er zijn veel meer vioolconcerten, zie mijn lange mail van vandaag (met 85 vioolconcertencd’s) op de website. Ken je die allemaal? Het gaat bij mijn motivatie om naar de concertzaal (of dit concours) te komen (of mee te doen met 1 van die vele amateurorkesten, waarin ik speel [gemiddeld 5 per week in het hoogseizoen] om de (originele) repertoirekeus en niet het nivo of de naam van de solist, de status van het (amateur/beroeps)orkest en dirigent. Groeten Bram