We have thousands of human-written stories, discussions, interviews and reviews from today through the past 20+ years. Find them here:

Search the site Search

Nikolaj Znaider played Korngold

September 13, 2006 at 11:12 AM

Ok, it is a sad story. I could hold it private or I can write about it in my blog. I choose for the latter, because the link with the violin is too strong.
During one of my violinlessons I talked about Nikolaj Znaider, Elisabeth competition winner, who would play for the Valery Gergiev-festival in Rotterdam with the professional Rotterdam Philharmonic the violinconcerto of Korngold. I asked my 34-year old teacher if we could go to that concert and whether she had no other appointments and she said: “Yes lets go, I don’t have other appointments”.
(perhaps she would hear this Kornconcerto, but not with me, because I am too ugly for her or other reasons. So I gave her a opportunity to say: “Oh, I forget my agenda” or “no Friday is my callenaticsevening, so I can’t go to the concert”, so I subtle understand that I was only a pupil of her and she did not want to go out with me)
So that evening I ordered with internet 2 cards for the concert, which arrive for the next violinlesson. I thought: Ok I will pay. I showed her the 2 cards during the next lesson and she immediately took her purse and paid her card, which I gave to her.
….The next day I got an email from her: Bram, I have decided not to go to the concert, because I want to separate work with private, so I will bring back the card for the concert for your next violinlesson…
I was not happy. But because I had an new orchestra on the day of my violinlessons. I have not seen her since, but I wrote a mail about that and asked her to sent to card to my postaddress, because of that orchestra I told her about before.
The next day I got the concertcard and she asked me to pay the money of the card back, although I still have 2 lessons payed in front for after that orchestra.
What do you think?: Is it time to look for another teacher after that orchestra?
A colleague said as a joke: You had to say to her: Let’s go to the concert and than I stop my violinlessons with you, so work and private is separated.

Oke I went to the concert with a friend and gave Nikolaj Znaider the 11 rare violinconcerto-cd (will he ever listen to this obscurities?) and the Janacekbeer, VieuxTemspbeer,Bachwine, Saint-Sanes as usual and he had played the Korngold very well. ANd I got his autograph.

So along with the bitter tea (rare concertos) you sweeten them up with beer?

Keep up the good work!

Don't get rid of your teacher. She's just nervous because she knows you are a high-profile person, famous the world over for rare violinconcertos and so she got nervous.

Well, the gentlemanly thing to do is give her back the ticket (card) money, and that's what you should do. You did make a mistake allowing her to pay for it, I think. You know she's a dummy now, so that should answer a lot of questions you might have.
Oh dear, oh dear... I hope it doesn't make the lesson awkward in the future. It is unfortunate, isn't it, that it gets so complicated to mix social and business affairs?