Violin Community News 2010, Op. 3

January 27, 2010 at 11:44 PM

-- There were many stories this week (Here's the one in the Miami Herald, and one from NPR) about blind violinist Romel Joseph, 50, who survived for 18 hours in the rubble of his own music school in Haiti – playing in his mind every concerto he knew in order to keep his sanity before he was pulled from the collapsed building. His wife, Myslie, who was 26 and pregnant, died in a room two floors below him, and the New Victorian School, which he had founded 1991 in Port-au-Prince, was destroyed. According to Claire (Rott) Lee, who used to accompany Romel at CCM, checks or money orders can be made payable to the Walenstein Musical Organization Inc. and sent to 2817 NW 168th Terrace, Miami Gardens, FL 33056. School supplies may be sent to the New Victorian School, c/o Victoria Joseph, 18320 NE Eighth Ave., North Miami Beach, FL 33179. We are considering what members of Violinist.com can do, please submit any ideas to this discussion thread.

-- Cellist and longtime Curtis cello teacher Orlando Cole died Monday at the age of 101. Cole was a student in Curtis's first class in 1924, and he played in the Curtis Quartet for more than 50 years. He taught many of today's finest cellists, including Lynn Harrell. Violinist David Russell wrote this blog in memory of Orlando Cole..

-- Violinist Itzhak Perlman gently admonished a Los Angeles audience for clapping between movements of Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major at Cal State Los Angeles' Luckman Theater on Saturday. He came back onstage with “an urgent message from Mr. Beethoven." Apparently, Mr. Beethoven felt the applause between movements was breaking the music’s mood and wanted to voice his concern before Perlman began playing Beethoven's own Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 7 (“Eroica").

-- The strike is over, and The Cleveland Orchestra went immediately back to work, with a concert in Miami featuring violinist Leila Josefowicz , who performed a violin concerto by British composer Thomas Adès called Concentric Paths. Here is Lawrence Budmen's review from the Miami Herald.

-- Korean-American violinist Sarah Chang performed pieces by Brahms and Franck Friday night at the 14th annual Hennessy Concert in Hanoi. She also played a concerto written especially for her by American composer Christopher Theofanidis; here is the story.

-- Hilary Hahn played Jennifer Higdon's Violin Concerto with music director Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra last Thursday and here is the write-up by Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press. Of the concerto he said that Higdon “writes music in motion and music in Technicolor. In three movements, the 30-minute concerto unfolds largely in an infectious rush of kinetic energy, pulsating rhythm, gleaming hues and impeccable craftsmanship." And of Hilary: “It's hard to imagine a more persuasive soloist than Hahn, who put a high gloss on the pyrotechnics, from the evocative opening harmonics to the jumping jack intervals and the blazing finale; she also sang sweetly in the slow movement."

-- “Glee" for fiddle? If you have always wanted to combine your violin playing with dancing, here's your opportunity to try out for the eclectic traveling show Barrage, which has been running for 15 years. The Calgary-based group is looking for violinists ages 18 to 27 who are in good physical shape (every show is a workout) and willing to go through several months of training for the show. I informational poster about the auditions. If you are interested in auditioning, e-mail Dean Marshall at barrageaudition@gmail.com.

-- Rachel Barton Pine won Best Classical Entertainer 2010 from the 29th Annual Chicago Music Awards on Sunday.

-- Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers has been touring this month with jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti. with concerts in Greensville (SC), Morristown (NJ) and Portland (ME) Durham (NC) and West Palm Beach.

-- Teenage violist Jordan Miles alleges that plain-clothes Pittsburgh police brutally beat him and yanked off his dreadlocks because, as the criminal complaint says, Miles was standing against a building "as if he was trying to avoid being seen." Thinking he had been abducted, he said he was surprised to find that he had been arrested, according to the Washington Post.

-- Here is the South Miami Middle School Chamber Ensemble, who played for Haitian violinist Romel Joseph at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital:

From Corwin Slack
Posted on January 28, 2010 at 4:19 AM

In Beethoven's day applause was expected between movements and particularly strong applause would elicit a repeat of the movement. But they were not likely to hear the movement again after that.

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on January 28, 2010 at 3:26 PM

Poor Beethoven, as if it was him that told this... ; ) Would be interesting to ask Beethoven (if he was still alive) if he would be for or agaist clapping in these situations! Maybe we would have surprises!

Anne-Marie

From John Cadd
Posted on January 29, 2010 at 8:21 PM

Anne -Marie I had a hearing problem very similar to Beethoven`s which happily cleared up. I found an internet site with a translation of the French doctor`s medical report on Beethoven. It was fascinating stuff. I felt sympathetic to Beethoven during that time. I had switched on the radio and wondered what the row was. At the end the announcer told me it was Mendelsohn`s Concerto.I was apalled and dismayed.

From Charles Bott
Posted on January 30, 2010 at 3:48 PM

Its funny regarding the gentle admonition of Perlman before the LA audience regarding clapping. I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the 3rd row center at his recital last Sunday in San Diego. The same exact thing happened. After the Mozart he came out and had the same announcement from Beethoven. Of course at the end of the first movement, several folks failed to hear this announcement. Finally after the second movement, no applause!! A smiling Perlman continued and all was well after that. I love his new electric cart as it was so painful to see him come on stage under his own power.What remarkable recital.

From Nicole Stacy
Posted on January 31, 2010 at 1:44 AM

Well...I would counter that it's just as big a "mood killer" when someone has played a particularly rousing and/or challenging piece well, and all you hear is onerous silence.

From SAM MIHAILOFF
Posted on January 31, 2010 at 2:39 AM

http://www.therestisnoise.com/2005/01/mozart_ignoramu.html

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Violin Community News 2010, Op. 3

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