Hi Steven! Can you tell us about John Tavener?

He was tall, about 6’6”. He was huge and imposing with his long, sort of golden hair. In 1977, he converted to the Russian Orthodox faith and then wrote all this wonderful music influenced by the chants and hymns of that church.

He had had a real burst of fame in his early 20s when he wrote the oratorio “The Whale”, which became very well known when the Beatles took it up and issued it on their Apple label.

Then, his music became a little more abstruse, and subsequently rather less popular. He made his comeback with “The Protecting Veil.” I premiered it at the 1989 BBC Proms and it became sort of a worldwide hit, I suppose.

His fame came and went until Princess Diana’s funeral, where one of his most beautiful choral works, “Song for Athene” was sung. And then again he was a huge sensation.

Unfortunately, afterward, he had a terrible, awful heart attack from which he almost died. In my sleeve-notes for the CD, I describe going to see him for the first time following that attack; it was shocking. He was never really healthy again - always in pain; but he recovered enough to go home and - amazingly - compose again, for a few years. Several pieces on the disc were written during that very last period.

How would you describe your relationship with him?

We were very close. We had our quarrels, but by the end, we were as close as ever, if not closer. After we had premiered two new works in Manchester in July 2013, I told him that I wanted to record a new album of his music. He was touchingly thrilled by the idea. However, it took 6 years to make it and seven years for it to come out.

Religion was obviously a big part of his life, converting to Russian Orthodox Christianity and later on showing a strong interest in Hinduism and Islam. How can you hear that in his life body of work?

You can hear the influence very clearly. The Russian Orthodox style brought us together in the first place, because we both loved this music. I thought that a work written in that style would sound really good on the cello.

The new album has many different religious undertones; the first work on the album, ''Preces And Responses'' was a choral piece actually written for the Anglican church. He was commissioned to write it; it turned out to be the last work he completed. We perform it in an arrangement I made for 8 cellos – a choir of cellos.

“The death of Ivan Ilyich” is the largest work on the album. It’s based on a novella by Tolstoi.

“Mahámátar” is Islamic-influenced, for sufi singer, cello, orchestra and boys’ choir.

The fourth piece on the album, ''Popule Meus - a Meditation'' has a Catholic title, but I’m not sure I’d describe it as a noticeably Catholic work – it’s just Tavener! And the album concludes with another 8-cello arrangement, from which the CD takes its name: ‘‘No Longer Mourn for Me’'. It is taken from the three Shakespeare settings premiered just a few days after John’s death.

So there’s quite a variety of styles and influences on this album!

Tell us about the new recording and what listeners can hope to hear in this. Are we almost seeing works over periods of his life?

The works are mostly from the period after his heart attack. “The death of Ivan Ilyich” was probably his largest completed piece he wrote in that period. It is almost like a Requiem for himself.

“Popule Meus” was actually written before his heart attack but it was the first piece that he and I worked on after he was able to leave hospital (where he spent a whole year). And so on – every piece has a personal story for him, and even for me, behind it.

You worked closely with John and a number of composers. How do you approach collaborations with living composers compared with Schuman for example?

It’s the same. The main difference is that with Schuman and Brahms, you can’t call them on the phone and ask them a question about their piece. Besides that, it’s pretty much the same.

I study the pieces in-depth as much as possible, and then if possible, play for the composer, and ask for comments. Some composers are much more demanding than others. John wasn’t really fussy about small details – and he was persuadable.

Sometimes it felt like I was telling him how I thought it should be played – and he usually agreed, which made life simpler.

It wasn’t like working with Kurtag for instance, or Heinz Holliger, with whom I just worked for the first time. They are so exacting! But that’s fine - I love it when composers demand a lot of you, in fact; it stretches your musical possibilities.

But with John, it was different: once he had written apiece, he sent it away and went on to the next thing. He always knew what he wanted in general terms, but he gave the interpreter a lot of freedom. Then he’d be happy, so long as they basically understood the music (which I hope I did).

I suppose it’s quite a dark album in a way, but it’s also rather appropriate for the time we are living through. And the music is redeemed, I think, by its incredible beauty – it’s just gorgeous music. I find it unbelievably touching.

In fact, if I had to choose one piece on the album, it would probably be the first piece, ‘‘Preces and Responses’’, which is, as I said, the last piece he ever completed. I am not sure he ever wrote anything more beautiful than that. The middle section, which in the choral version is ta setting of the Lord’s Prayer, is so tender, so melting. It actually brings tears to my eyes - which doesn’t happen that often, except when I am chopping an onion. It is very very special, especially when you know it is his last work. But you don’t have to know that in order to love it.

What would you like listeners to take away with them when they listen to the CD?

I suppose that, despite the darkness - and there is a lot of tragedy in this music - I want listeners to be uplifted and moved. It’s very powerful, but it’s never depressing. No matter how dark it gets, there is always redemption and always beauty. So I would love them to be, yes, uplifted and comforted by the music.

Final question. How would you like John to be remembered?

As a great character, a unique character. One who wrote works of great beauty. He wrote a lot, not all of it of equal quality, perhaps; but I think it would be fair to say that at its height, the music touches something truly sublime.

No longer mourn for me

John Tavener, Composer

Steven Isserlis, Cello

Label: Hyperion

Release Date: October 30, 2020

The post VC INTERVIEW | Steven Isserlis Discusses John Tavener appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Michael, tell us about your father.  What words for you would best describe him as a musician, educator, and human being?

Larger than life would be a good way to describe him. Now almost 20 years since his death, and in his 100th year, what I keep thinking about most is how large his view of music and the world was.

He was not tall, to put it charitably, but all that he attempted, all that he valued, all of his enthusiasm were accomplished with exuberantly big gestures. Certainly it was reflected in his playing — he took musical chances, always, and he was all about the long line.

And it was certainly present in his love for food and drink, and for cigars. But it was also reflected in his passion for the arts as a force for good, for his commitment to education and young people, in his belief in cultural diplomacy, and the generosity of his teaching — all of it was full throttle.

He often repeated one of his favorite quips: “Making music should be like making love — all or nothing.” When he threw himself into a project, you could count on it being 100%.

What would you say were the major milestones of his career and life? 

To paraphrase another one of his favorite sayings, he would often remind students and aspiring players that the arc of a career was not measured by the last rehearsal or concert, but by the sum total of what one can do in a lifetime.

He made an indelible mark as a musician on so many people, as a soloist, as a chamber music collaborator, and in his coaching. 

But even just considering the Jerusalem Music Centre, and the lasting legacy of a thriving Carnegie Hall, I would say that his civic and musical activism were as important as anything else, and bear witness to his commitment to education and to the next generations.

What would you say were your father’s true motivations in life? 

He loved music; he loved the inspiration he got by working with and inspiring younger colleagues and young people; and he wanted to be useful.

How was your relationship with your father and how was it to grow up in such a rich musical environment?

I think my siblings would agree that in our house growing up, things pretty much revolved around him. But both our parents were rather remarkable forces of nature, and we were lucky to have not only such direct access to music, but also to such a close knit family. And even now, as a musician, I still have, almost all the time, his voice and his sound in my ear.

Your father had a very public life, but what is something that somebody outside your direct family might not know about him?

I think he came off publicly as very confident, and he certainly did know the contents of his own mind. But he never appeared arrogant, and that was an honest reflection of who he was.

He actually was very humble, more than a little self-deprecating, certainly self-aware and self-critical. He was a person of action, but he knew how to live with doubt.

When you eventually look back at your own life, what are the major tangible and intangible life lessons you will have learned from your father?

All his life, he listened — he certainly did it in his playing, and as well when he didn’t have the violin in his hands. He knew how to collaborate, to cajole, to convince, and to concur with an idea that wasn’t his. He really knew how to listen.

How do you want your father to be remembered in history?

As a really great fiddler and musician who left his world a little better for having passed through it, and who gave back much more than he was given.

David and Wu Han, what are the main professional and life lessons you felt you learned from Mr. Stern?

There are a couple of ideas that we learned first from Rostropovich and that were re-affirmed by Stern. The first is that when it comes to art and music, nothing is impossible. That is what Rostropovich taught his students to believe by challenging them with assignments that all seemed initially impossible, but in the end, actually were possible. Thus, he gave his students the greatest gift of all: confidence in their own abilities to conquer, succeed and go beyond where they thought their limits were. 

During the five years we knew and worked with Stern, he imparted that same idea through his demands on his students and on himself. One must remember that he saved Carnegie Hall, against all odds, before he was even forty years old, and in the midst of a hectic international career. How he did that is hard to imagine, but when all others gave up, he did not, and we have the hall as a testament to his determination to succeed, no matter what. 

The other idea that Stern embodied was an unwavering faith in the value of music -an absolute faith in the intrinsic value of music and of its crucial place within the larger society. These convictions were for him non-negotiable and not even worth discussing -let alone questioning. 

We remain, to this day, perfectly aligned with his advice: always seek artistic excellence, be inspiring to others, be true to the music, and invest in the next generation. We hope that we are doing a good enough job in keeping the profile of classical music as strong and as noble and as essential as it has ever been.

How did his approach to music and education affect your own career perspective and choices?

When we worked with Stern, the timing was fortuitous for us: we had just gotten our first artistic directorship, with La Jolla's SummerFest, in 1997. He was aware of and was keen on keeping tabs on our work.

He would summon us from our apartment to his in the Beresford on Central Park West, and perhaps over a Sternini (his own signature cocktail), would ask us - no, grill us - on what we were doing, what were the challenges, what were our solutions. And with the Sternini in hand came words of wisdom just as delicious (and powerful) as the drink, and we never forgot them. 

He had the clearest mind imaginable when it came to the business of music and the effect of one's behavior, for better or worse, in any given situation.

To this day, his advice has never proven wrong. It's like a Bible of artistic principles that people like us read over and over again; they guide us still in what we do, almost each and every day. We hope he's looking at us with some sense of reassurance that his passions and convictions are living on in a couple of his most faithful artistic children.

Catch the special Music@Menlo "Remembering Isaac Stern" celebration On Sunday 4th October at 8.00 (EDT). Tickets are free.

The post VC INTERVIEW | Isaac Stern's Centennial - Michael Stern, David Finckel & Wu Han appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

We sat Nicholas down to get a better understanding of his legendary father's life and legacy - on this, the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Mr Mann passed away in 2018 - aged 97.

Nicholas, Tell us about your father?  What words for you would best describe him as a musician, educator, and human being?

"Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my father ... it is so important to keep alive the memory of remarkable musicians such as my father.

'Passion' is the first word that comes to mind. Passion for every aspect of life.

'Enthusiasm', and 'Commitment' in everything he did.

'Authentic' - He stayed true to his values, every day of his life.

'Inspirational' - A teacher whose magic touched so many

'Generous' - He was generous of spirit, of time, and of love"

What would you say were the major milestones of his career and life? 

"The more typical answer might list his accomplishments - 

Winner of the Naumburg Violin competition in 1941, 

The formation of the Juilliard String Quartet in 1947  

Commissions of literally hundreds of works such as Carter 3rd and Dutilleux's Ansi La Nuit .....

There are so many accomplishments and milestones, however I would like to approach the question a bit differently.

He was a truly inspirational teacher whose musical DNA is now woven into the fabric of today's chamber music artists.

So I think it is more apt to name three teachers who greatly influenced him. They were the milestones in his musical development.

Edouard Hurlimann, the concertmaster in Portand OR who first opened his eyes to deeper meaning in music. 

Edward Dethier, his violin teach at Juilliard,  who not only helped him develop as a violinist, but also passed his love of chamber music to my father.  

And finally Eugene Lehner his mentor and friend who guided him and the JSQ though  their early years"

What would you say were your father’s true motivations in life? 

"My father was one of those rare individuals who was always motivated and how he accomplished so much in his life is really hard to fathom.

I don't think there was any one specific motivation, but he was definitely inspired by nature and the mountains, a source of rejuvenation for him.

I was lucky to spend many a night out in the wilderness camping with him"

How was your relationship with your father and how was it to grow up in such a rich musical environment? 

"I was so lucky ... He encouraged my musical involvement whenever I showed interest. Great music and great musicians around me all the time - what a phenomenally rich environment to grow up in! 

He was my mentor.

We performed together, we hiked together. I could not imagine a more wonderful relationship"

Your father had a very public life, but what is something that somebody outside your direct family might not know about him? 

"He loved Chinese food beyond belief. Didn't matter where he was, New York or even Paris, he always looked for the  Chinese restaurants.

Also he was a fanatic for science fiction books ... He must have ready every science fiction book, both good and bad"

When you eventually look back at your own life, what are the major tangible and intangible life lessons you will have learned from your father? 

"Your love for what you do is the most important basis for a satisfying life .

He always said he strove to be an amateur (which in french literally means -  to do it for the love).

And stay true to your core beliefs. The business of music will constantly test you, but your values in music should not be compromised"

How do you want your father to be remembered in history? 

"A man who changed the landscape of chamber music, both as a performer and teacher. An artist who could reach your soul in the simplest phrase.

A poet on the violin."

The post VC INTERVIEW | Nicholas Mann - On This, Violinist Robert Mann's 100th Birthday Anniversary appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

In a VC blog, Rudolf pays tribute to his late-teacher and mentor:

Take any Dutch violinist of any generation at random and somewhere in his or her biography the name Herman Krebbers pops up.

Herman Krebbers is in my opinion just as important for the Dutch violin world as the Statue of Liberty is for NY. 

I came for my first lessons with Herman Krebbers 47 years ago at age 11!
The extraordinary qualities he had as a teacher were his immense presence and the enormous repertoire and musical knowledge that gave him such authority.

Krebbers’s daily routine at that time was like this: morning rehearsals with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (as first Concertmaster), afternoon teaching, evening concerts - either with the Concertgebouw Orchestra or as a soloist, with his trio (The Guarnieri Trio) or in recital and that sometimes far out in the country!

He was a strict but extremely charming teacher with an excellent sense of humor, he knew and played the entire violin repertoire by heart and could show you fantastic fingerings and bowings instantly.

You could come to the lesson with random sonatas , concertos, virtuosic pieces, yes, even chamber music and orchestral excerpts would be in for the full treatment in room No. 7 at the “Amsterdam’s Muzieklyceum”.
And when the lady of the cafeteria downstairs on the stroke of 13 o’clock sharp entered the room with the peeled apples and a cup of tea (his lunch!), his attention was briefly diverted from my violinistic “try-to-keep-the-head-above-water-stress” and I could glance unnoticed at the music stand for an extra 10 seconds to better prepare myself for the never quite sufficient studied next difficult passage.

However talented of a student you might be, the unpleasant feeling crawled up to you sooner or later that, with a man such as Herman Krebbers in front of you, there is someone listening to you who knows and plays this piece you are playing much better than you! This huge pressure (which could be compared with a perfect mirror) was for many very stimulating for the development of a healthy self-criticism and consequently also for one’s own violin playing.

Sometimes he sends me a postcard when he was on tour and once he brought me some kind of version of a violin with one string from Indonesia (and even demonstrated it for me!) I still use a beautiful old wooden metronome he gave me on my 15th birthday. A rectangular violin case I received from him (at that time the ultimate thing to own), and even once he gave me 300 guilders out of his snake leather wallet … a small contribution for buying a new bow, he said! But of course the most valuable thing he gave me for life was his great philosophy and advice not only towards music, violin playing and teaching, but also about people and life in general.

Sometimes I was his last student of the teaching day and he would give me a lift to the train station (I lived a bit out of town). Then I would be allowed to sit in this luxury American battleship of a car that smelled like a mix of leather and perfume - sitting right next to one of world’s best violin players! I would be feeling on top of the world and be filled with pride, and I’d look at the imposing dashboard and observe his perfectly fitting lambskin gloves, the fancy Omega watch and the brown suede Italian loafers which he wore strictly for the elegant manipulation of the acceleration and brake pedals. I knew then that one day I wanted to become someone just like him.

Twenty three years later when I also became Concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Herman Krebbers congratulated me in person and asked me: “And? What kind of car does the gentleman drive these days?”

-Rudolf

HERMAN KREBBERS & RUDOLF KOELMAN, 1972

VIKTOR LIBERMAN, ALEXANDER KERR, HERMAN KREBBERS, THEO OLOF, RUDOLF KOELMAN & JAAP VAN ZWEDEN, 1996

The post Dutch Violinist Herman Krebbers – In Memoriam (1923-2018) appeared first on World's Leading Classical Music Platform.

Here, Steven pays tribute to his late teacher and mentor:

I have had the privilege of having several profound yet very different relationships in my musical and personal life. This may not seem unusual but what is extraordinary is that they have been with the same person, Michael Tree. At first hearing, I became a wide eyed fan, then couldn’t believe my good fortune at becoming his student, moving on to the extraordinary opportunity of playing alongside him with the quartet that I loved so dearly, becoming teaching colleagues and sharing students, and ultimately enjoying a warm and comfortable friendship. All these phases were made possible by a man who loved unconditionally.

Michael Tree lived his life the same way he played the music he loved the most, as a romantic who enjoyed just about everything about everything. He loved his family. He and his beautiful wife, Jani shared a rare love that exists in but a few relationships. He epitomized his own philosophy that in order to be a good musician, you had to first be a good person.

My first encounter with Michael, as the Curtis students of the 70’s called him, was at a chamber music workshop in Cleveland in 1974. The Guarneri Quartet came to perform and then coach the student quartets the next day. I sat transfixed through performances of Mozart, Debussy and Beethoven, not believing my ears at the sound emanating from this group. I instantly knew that life would never be the same for me. Thanks to the prodding of another special mentor of mine, Heidi Castleman, I somehow worked up the nerve to go play for him. After being accepted as his student at Curtis, I spent the next several years in an obsessive quest to try and emulate his playing which I believed spoke like a prophet revealing the meaning of strength, beauty, poetry and humanity. His teaching was probing, deliberate and always searching for the most expressive way to communicate the music.

I was fortunate to share the stage with Michael in various formations - as a guest with the Guarneri Quartet, with him as a guest of my Orion Quartet and in memorable collaborations with both of our quartets. His teaching was now by example as he encouraged me to be a colleague rather than a student. Michael and I shared students, first as an assistant to him at St. Louis and then as teaching together at Juilliard. One of my favorite memories will always be when I watched his students have that same sense of awe and amazement of his playing and teaching that I had as a youngster.

The last few years were filled with warmth and gratitude as former students and colleagues would gather in New York and Vermont to celebrate birthdays and berry picking season. Jani’s “Sunday Special” added that perfect sweetness to a Marlboro breakfast.

I know that I share in the profound sorrow and gratitude that Michael Tree’s family, students, friends and thousands of music lovers around the world must feel. He has left a hole in our hearts that will be impossible to fill. We should all strive to be the kind of person that will be missed as much as Michael Tree.

-Steven

American violist Steven Tenenbom has served as a member of the famed Orion String Quartet since its formation in 1987. He performs regularly as a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center - and holds teaching positions on faculty at The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music and The Bard College Conservatory of Music

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