The violin is an amazing instrument. It is difficult to master the art of playing it, but when the initial path is completed, you hear the enchanting sounds of the violin. For the fourth year I have been learning the secrets of mastery of playing the violin. In addition to special subjects in our class, class hours are held, where we get acquainted with the work of famous violinists of the past and present. We try to prepare information about the life and work of violinists ourselves, using the literature proposed by the teacher, as well as literature from the library fund. In the 2008-2009 academic year, the theme of class hours is "Violinists - virtuosos of the 20th century."

David Fedorovich Oistrakh is one of the brightest representatives of the outstanding Russian violin school. September 30, 2008 marked the 100th anniversary of his birth.

David Fyodorovich Oistrakh

David Fedorovich Oistrakh was born on September 30, 1908 in the city of Odessa, where he spent the first 20 years of his life. He was born in the family of a modest employee and chorus girl of the Opera House. They lived in a small semi-dark room with a lantern instead of a window. The financial situation was, as they say, below average. But peace and harmony always reigned in the family, everyone was friendly and, as befits true Odessans, cheerful and witty.

Father - Fedor Davidovich - had a noticeable influence on his son as a man of high moral virtues, a strict educator and an excellent family man. A decisive role in the life of the future violinist was played by his mother, Isabella Stepanovna. She often took little Dodik - that's how everyone affectionately called him - with her to the Opera House. Standing in the orchestra pit next to the old maestro Pribik (chief conductor of the Odessa Opera), he listened to the music as if spellbound. Dodik's mother noticed very early his heightened musical impressionability. But his father gave him the first violin. True, she was not real.

Here is how David Fedorovich himself recalls in his autobiographical notes “My Way”: “I was three and a half years old when my father brought a toy violin into the house,“ playing ”on which I very willingly imagined myself as a street musician - a sad profession, widespread in those days. years in Odessa. It seemed to me that there is no, and there can be no greater happiness than walking around the yards with a violin.

“Playing the street violinist so fascinated me that when, at the age of five, I finally got my hands on a real eighth-note violin and began to study music, this occupation completely absorbed me.” Then little David met his future teacher Peter Solomonovich Stolyarsky.

The first period of communication with the violin was not cloudless. Neither in irrepressible energy, nor in love for pranks did Dodik differ from his peers, he participated in their noisy games and entertainment, and if classes interfered with this, he cut the strings of his violin or the hair on the bow. David Fedorovich's parents, after a series of failures, finally found an effective remedy. If the child did not study, and even more so, if he treated his instrument so disrespectfully, the mother did not take him to the theater with her. The desire to be next to the conductor again was so strong that I had to become prudent.

The first and only music teacher was Peter Solomonovich Stolyarsky. Pyotr Solomonovich was not yet old when Oistrakh studied with him, but by that time he had earned himself a good reputation as an educator of many talented violinists, enjoyed in Odessa not only unlimited respect, but also sincere love. Stolyarsky introduced elements of the game into classes, knew how to interest children, encourage them to study this or that play. He knew not only the musical abilities of each of his students, but also his character, inclinations, hobbies. Pyotr Solomonovich rarely picked up the violin while studying in the classroom. He did not show how one or another musical phrase should be played, but, listening to the play of little violinists, he very skillfully corrected their mistakes. And it is no coincidence that among the graduates of the Stolyarsky School there were such great violinists as David Oistrakh, Natan Milshtein, Samuil Furer, Elizaveta Gilels.

Little David showed by that time undoubted talent. Recalling later on the years of studying with his best student, Stolyarsky wrote: “From childhood, he showed exceptionally brilliant abilities and moved along the path of mastering the difficult violin skill with almost dizzying speed.” Little Oistrakh was distinguished by a thoughtful, serious attitude to his studies. This is a great art - to be able to practice, and David Fedorovich mastered it from a young age.

David Oistrakh began performing in 1914. He made his debut at the student matinee, opening it as the youngest participant (he was then five and a half years old). In 1923, the first performance with the orchestra took place. David Fedorovich was then already a second-year student at the Music and Drama Institute - that was the name of the Odessa Conservatory at that time. The following year, the inhabitants of Odessa first saw the name of Oistrakh on posters. They announced the violinist's recital, the program of which included Bach's Concerto a-moll, Tartini-Kreisler's "Devil's Trills", Sarasate's "Gypsy Melodies" and several minor virtuoso pieces. It was then that a corner appeared in the Oistrakh house, in which his posters were posted.

Oistrakh's touring activities soon began. Together with the student orchestra of the conservatory, he set off in 1925 on his first trip to the cities of Ukraine.

In 1926, David Oistrakh brilliantly completed his studies.

The years 1926-1928 were the time of his surprisingly rapid creative development. Performances became more and more frequent, the geography of tours expanded, and the repertoire was rapidly enriched.

The first successes of Oistrakh were widely commented on by the Odessa press. Reviewers inform music lovers about the expansion of the creative interests of yesterday's student - a participant in almost all the concerts of the season. They admire the lightness and crystal clearness of the violinist's playing.

1928 was a turning point in the life of David Oistrakh. He was marked by a move to permanent residence in Moscow. The climate of the cultural life of the capital with its theatres, museums, exhibitions and concerts had a considerable influence on the further formation of the artistic personality of David Fedorovich.

The end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s was the period of active concert performances by David Oistrakh. He performed in the largest cities of the Soviet Union with solo and symphonic programs. On January 23, 1929, his first concert in the capital took place in the Mozart Hall.

D. Oistrakh's first competitive victory was the first prize he won in Kharkov at the First All-Ukrainian Violin Competition (1930). Five years separated the First All-Ukrainian Competition from the Second All-Union Competition, held in 1935 in Leningrad, where Oistrakh again became the first. A new victory opened up the broadest prospects for him. His name began to be called next to the brilliant names of Kreisler, Szigeti, Heifetz, Milstein. However, the path to the heights of glory lay through two more international competitions - the name of Henryk Wieniawski in Warsaw and the name of Eugene Ysaye in Brussels.

1935, Warsaw. 55 applicants from 16 countries came to the homeland of the Polish violinist and composer Wieniawski to take part in the competition named after him. Among them is 26-year-old violinist David Oistrakh. The result of his performance is the second place.

Shortly after the competition, the first concerts of David Oistrakh took place abroad: Moscow - Warsaw - Vienna - Budapest - Sofia - Istanbul. The intensity of his performing activity increased especially after his triumphant victory in 1937 in Brussels at the Eugene Ysaye Competition. Returning to his homeland, Oistrakh plunged headlong into concert and touring activities. Everyone wanted to hear it.

But the whole habitual way of life broke down at once, on one day: June 22, 1941, when the Great Patriotic War began. David Fedorovich Oistrakh was among those Moscow musicians who did not leave the capital, among those who flew to the besieged Leningrad to perform before its heroic defenders. And in the spring of 1945, Oistrakh's violin sounded in the liberated countries - Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria and Czechoslovakia.

The post-war decades are a new chapter in the creative biography of David Oistrakh, the time of the maturity of his art, the time of unceasing triumphs in various parts of the world. Speaking in 1961 in Portugal, he said that not a single country remained in Europe in which he would not play.

In September 1968, David Fedorovich Oistrakh turned 60 years old. His performing activity continued for half a century. On his anniversary, he gave two concerts in which he performed as a violinist and conductor.

On October 24, 1974, while touring in the Netherlands, David Oistrakh suffered a heart attack. He died in the arms of his wife. "Now it will pass" - were his last words.

About the purpose of his life in art, D. Oistrakh spoke simply: “I am trying to fulfill my purpose as an artist and I hope to open to many more people the rich world of music that brightens up everyday life. This is what I live for.” (autobiographical notes "My way")

In conclusion, I would like to give a few assessments of the creative appearance of David Fedorovich, given by his contemporaries:

"The violinist played the Stradivarius violin. It sounded like he was born with it." (Howard Taubman about Oistrakh's performance in America).

“He is an exceptional musician, in all respects a complete harmonic violinist. In his playing, the most striking thing is the simplicity and extraordinary skill, combined with great freedom in the possession of the instrument. (Violinist Abram Yampolsky).

"Exceptional nobility and simplicity, impeccable taste and sense of proportion, first-class virtuosity that never becomes the goal of intentions - all these qualities make Oistrakh undoubtedly one of the best violinists of our time." (Pianist Alexander Goldenweiser).

Check out the list of the ten best, most sought-after and talented violinists in the world. Of course, this rating is conditional. However, we can say with confidence that these people are Masters, and deservedly loved and revered by their grateful audience.

Itzhak Perlman (born August 31, 1945) is an Israeli-American violinist, conductor and teacher. One of the most famous violinists of the second half of the 20th century. Five-time Grammy Award winner. In 2015 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Itzhak became interested in the violin at the age of four after hearing a classical music concert on the radio. Barely ten years old, he began to perform concerts on Israeli radio, and in 1958 appeared on the popular American television show Ed Sullivan. His first performance took place on March 5, 1963 at Carnegie Hall.

Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist and two-time Grammy winner. She began playing the violin at the age of 4, and at the age of ten she gave her first solo concert. Throughout her career, Hilary has given more than 800 concerts, approximately 500 of which are accompanied by an orchestra. The performances of the violinist took place in more than 200 cities in 27 countries of the world. Collaborated with 150 conductors.
Hillary plays a violin created in 1864 by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, using a French bow made in the 19th century.

Eighth place in the list of the best violinists in the world goes to Janine Jansen (born January 7, 1978) is a Dutch violinist and violist. Winner of the Music Prize of the Netherlands Ministry of Culture, the ECHO-Classic Prize, the Edison Prize, etc.
She began learning to play the violin at the age of 6. She made her debut in 2001, performing Brahms' Violin Concerto with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland.

Victoria Mullova (born November 27, 1959) is a Russian violinist. Best known for performing and recording a number of violin concertos, compositions by J. S. Bach, as well as for innovative interpretations of popular compositions by Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, the Beatles and others.
Graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. In 1980 she won the Sibelius International Violin Competition in Finland, in 1982 - the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Victoria currently lives in London with her husband, cellist Matthew Barley, and their three children.

Sarah Chang (born December 10, 1980) is a well-known American violinist, winner of the Avery Fisher Award, the International Academy of Music Kiji Award and others.
She began learning to play the violin at the age of four. In 1991, when Chang was 10 years old, she recorded her first album called "Debut", after which she quickly gained international fame. Performs up to 150 concerts a year.

Julia Fischer (born 15 June 1983) is a German violinist and pianist; plays both instruments at a professional level. Winner of the ECHO-classic award, Diapason d'Or, Gramophone award, etc. In October 2006 she became a professor at the Frankfurt am Main Music Academy (the youngest professor in the history of German higher education).
She began learning to play the violin at the age of four. At the age of 8 she gave her first concert accompanied by a symphony orchestra.
Every year Julia gives from 70 to 80 concerts with 50 programs. Fischer's repertoire includes more than 40 pieces with orchestral accompaniment and about 60 pieces of chamber music.

Anne-Sophie Mutter (born June 29, 1963) is a German violinist, one of the most sought-after and highly paid in the world. Winner of many prestigious prizes and awards, including the Grammy in the category "Best Chamber Music Performance" (2000), the Leonie Sonning Award (2001), the Order of Literature and Art (2005). She also became the first woman in history to be awarded the Ernst Siemens Prize (2008).
From the age of five, Anne-Sophie began playing the piano, but soon changed the instrument and began to learn to play the violin. After winning several competitions for young violinists, when Mutter was 13 years old, Herbert von Karajan invited her to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, with which she made her debut in 1976 at the Lucerne Festival. In 1985, at the age of 22, the violinist became a member of the Royal Academy of Music.

Midori Goto (born October 25, 1971) is a Japanese and American violinist. Winner of many awards. Since 2007, he has been a UN Goodwill Ambassador.
She picked up the violin for the first time at the age of two. She made her public debut at the age of seven, performing one of Paganini's 24 caprices in her hometown of Osaka. When Midori was eleven, she performed with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta in Manhattan. In 1992, she founded Midori and Friends, a non-profit organization for the musical education of children in New York City.
Her brother Ryu is also a violinist.

David Oistrakh (September 30 (new style) 1908 - October 24, 1974) - a famous Soviet conductor, teacher, violinist and violist, professor at the Moscow State Conservatory. Winner of many awards and prizes. Laureate of the Stalin (1943) and Lenin Prize (1960). People's Artist of the USSR (1953).
From the age of five he began to study violin and viola with Pyotr Stolyarsky, his first and only teacher. He made his debut in Odessa at the age of 6. Even as a student, Oistrakh performed on stage as part of the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist and conductor.
Died of a heart attack in Amsterdam.

Fritz Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian composer and violinist. Like many great violinists, his performance had a distinctive sound that was immediately recognizable.
Kreisler was educated at the Vienna Conservatory, where his teachers were Anton Bruckner and Josef Helmesberger (he entered there at the age of seven, although it was necessary to have at least fourteen to enter: an exception was made for Kreisler). In 1887 he received the first prize at the final exam, after which he decided to start an independent creative career. The debut of the musician in the United States took place on November 10, 1888.
Just before his death, the violinist was in a car accident, as a result of which he was blind and deaf.

From the compiler

Any anthology, poetry or prose, any collection of essays about great musicians, composers or actors, always bears the stamp of the taste of the author or compiler of this anthology. During the Soviet era, some literary anthologies (like their authors and compilers) underwent enormous and sometimes dangerous difficulties. It is enough to recall the history of only two literary collections: "Literary Moscow", was published only twice and, together with the authors published there, was subjected to devastating criticism, and another literary collection - "Tarus Pages", if I remember correctly, was published only once!

Books dedicated to music and musicians also bore the stamp of strict censorship and indispensable "political correctness" of those years. Often, authors who had already prepared their books for publication could not publish their works, since the people about whom these works were written had no “value” in the eyes of the authorities and were, as they put it then, “inappropriate” for publication in wide circulation. . All this is now well known.

It is less known that foreign compilers of anthologies very often also followed the “logic of state expediency”. Even violin art was also strictly censored. I remember a book published in Germany in 1943 on the history of violin performance, where such historical figures as Josef Joachim, Ferdinand Laub, Fritz Kreisler were not mentioned in a word. From the "non-Aryans" the Frenchman Jacques Thibaud, as it were, "slipped" with difficulty! The most important luminary of all times and peoples was the German violinist Willy Burmeister in that book! Who today knows and remembers this name, except for teachers of children's music schools, where children play some arrangements of ancient composers of this violinist forgotten today?

I recently received a book by the famous Austrian musicologist Kurt Blaukopf, The Great Virtuosi, published in German in the mid-1950s. Even he, living in a country of relative freedom of speech, could not resist the temptation of the impact of the “political correctness of those years” in his selection of “great virtuosos”, devoting quite a lot of space to the then popular Soviet violinist Igor Bezrodny, completely bypassing the names of such young virtuosos as Yulian Sitkovetsky , Igor Oistrakh, Eduard Grach, Rafail Sobolevsky, Nelli Shkolnikova and even Leonid Kogan! and some others. Perhaps the point was that until the summer of 1955, Austria was still under the occupation of three allied countries in the coalition in the 2nd World War. But this is only an assumption. Naturally, any author-compiler is guided by his own taste and predilections, and also partly by the fashion of the time. Thus, Kurt Blaukopf devoted a lot of space to the well-known Soviet violinist Igor Bezrodny since the late 1940s. Yampolsky.

In 1951, a 3rd year student at the Moscow Conservatory, Bezrodny, received the Stalin Prize for "outstanding success in concert performance", which caused great bewilderment among the oldest professors of the Conservatory. The choice of an Austrian musicologist seems all the more strange today. Bezrodny was a brilliant artist, a very talented musician, but he was never a "great virtuoso" - he never publicly performed the works of Henri Vietana, Niccolò Paganini, Pablo de Sarasate. Only once did he make a recording on the Moscow radio of Variations on the theme of Rossini's opera "Otello" by G. Ernst. The author did not include in his collection such a world-famous virtuoso as Leonid Kogan! Igor Bezrodny performed excellently in his best years the Concertos of Brahms, Saint-Saens, Taneyev's Suite, Chausson's "Poem", Ravel's "Gypsy". Then the musical authorities wanted to see him as a replacement for David Oistrakh. Of course, he did not and could not become a “replacement”.

So let's take it for granted that all anthologies are compiled in accordance with the spirit of the time and the taste of the author, which, of course, makes the selection biased and sometimes biased. It should be noted in advance that the author was guided by the principle of publishing materials about the famous violinists of the last 20th century - long gone not only from the stage, but also from life. The history of young virtuosos of the XXI century (for example, Russian: Sergei Stadler, Vadim Repin, Alena Baeva, Nikita Borisoglebsky, Maxim Vengerov and Er.), presumably, will be written by researchers of a new generation.

1. Fritz Kreisler - the greatest violinist of the 20th century ("Virtual Concerto")

Several years ago, a friend of mine sent me a short story by Hermann Hesse, "A Virtuoso Concerto". If you don’t know anything about Herman Hesse, then it may seem to the reader that this short story was written by an immigrant from the “first Russian post-revolutionary wave” - the author felt so unhappy, somehow restless and, of course, constrained in means (to be maybe after admitting that he was given a ticket to the concert?). This feeling was strengthened by the fact that the author had a clear dislike for wealth in general and for the wealthy public that gathered for the concert of the famous virtuoso, in particular.

A friend of mine sent me a story so that I could answer the question - who is this famous virtuoso, whose concert is dedicated to Hesse's story. It was not difficult for me to immediately determine the name of this artist, who influenced all the violinists of the world without exception - the most famous and unknown - all violinists of the 20th century. But not only violinists, but even such a great artist as the composer-pianist S. V. Rachmaninov. I told all this to my friend who sent me this text. Later there was a temptation to give this story to my friends and acquaintances - musicians and non-musicians - for the same purpose for which the story was sent to me. To some extent, the answer to this question was an indicator of knowledge about the performing arts and its peaks in the past century. But first, let's get a little familiar with this, not so widely known story, published in 1928. Here are the main excerpts from it.

“Last night I was at a concert that was significantly different from the concerts that I used to listen to in general. It was a concert of the world-famous secular virtuoso violinist, an enterprise, therefore, not only musical, but also sports, and above all - public ... "" The program, however, promised for the most part real music ... It contained wonderful things: the Kreutzer Sonata, Chaconne Bach, Tartini Sonata... These beautiful compositions filled two-thirds of the concert. Then, however, towards the end the program changed. There were musical plays with beautiful, promising titles, moonlit fantasies and Venetian nights by unknown authors, whose names pointed to peoples who had not yet advanced in music ... In a word, the third part of the concert strongly resembled programs hung out in the music pavilions of fashionable resorts. And the ending was made up of several pieces that the great virtuoso composed himself. With curiosity, I went to this evening. In my youth, I heard Sarasate and Joachim play the violin... and was delighted with their playing...”

“Already long before I reached the concert hall, it became clear to me by many signs that today we are talking not about what my friends and I call music, not about some quiet and fantastic phenomenon in an unreal, nameless realm, but about the real thing. The events of this evening ... powerfully set in motion motors, horses, purses, hairdressers and all the rest of reality. What happened here ... was very much like other powerful manifestations of life - the stadium, the stock exchange, festivals. “It was difficult in the streets adjacent to the concert hall to break through the streams of hurrying spectators, through the lines of cars…” pounced on me, penetrated my loneliness, and made me, who does not go anywhere and does not read newspapers, a surprised connoisseur of interesting details. “Tomorrow evening,” I heard, “he will already be playing in Hamburg.” Someone doubted: “In Hamburg? How will he get to Hamburg by tomorrow evening?” "Nonsense! He, of course, will fly in an airplane. Maybe he even has his own airplane.” “And in the wardrobe ... I learned from the lively conversations of my associates that during this evening the great musician requested and received fourteen thousand francs. Everyone called this amount with reverence. Some really believed that art was not only for the rich, but such a request was approved, and it turned out that most would be glad to get tickets at a normal price, but that all the same they were all proud of having paid so much. I failed to understand the psychology of this contradiction, because my ticket was presented to me.

“Finally, we all entered the hall ... Between the rows, in the corridors, in the next hall, on the stage, chairs were additionally placed up to the piano, there was not a single empty seat ...” “They rang, it became quiet. And suddenly a great violinist came out with a quick step, modestly followed by a young pianist-accompanist. We all immediately fell in love with him ... he was a serious, handsome, lively and yet dignified man of glorious appearance and refined manners. “We all really liked the virtuoso. And when he began to play the slow part of the Kreutzer Sonata, it immediately became clear that his worldwide fame was well-deserved. This sympathetic man knew how to handle his violin remarkably, he had the plasticity of the bow, the purity of the techniques, the strength and elasticity of the sound, a skill that one readily and joyfully submits to. He started the second part rather quickly, slightly forcing the pace, but wonderfully. The first third of the program was exhausted with the Kreutzer Sonata, during the break the man sitting in front of me was counting to his neighbor how many thousands of francs the artist had already earned in that half hour. Chaconne Bach followed, superbly, but only in the third piece, Tartin's sonata, did the violinist show himself in all his splendor. This piece, performed by him, was really a miracle - amazingly difficult, amazingly played, and, moreover, very good, solid music. If the general public listened to Beethoven and Bach, maybe only out of respect and only to please the violinist, then here it swayed and warmed up. Applause thundered, the virtuoso bowed very correctly and added a smile at the third or fourth exit.

And in the third part of the concerto, we, true music lovers and puritans of good music, were saddened, because now the general public has begun to please, and what the good musicians Beethoven and Bach did not succeed in, and the extraordinary master Tartini succeeded only half, this unknown exotic composer of tango succeeded as could not be better: thousands of people were inflamed, they melted and ceased resistance, they smiled enlightenedly, shedding tears, they moaned with delight, and after each of these short entertaining plays burst into thunderous applause. “And we, a few disgruntled puritans, internally defended ourselves, we fought heroically useless battles, we laughed irritably at the nonsense that was being played here, and yet we could not help but notice the brilliance of this bow, the charm of these sounds and not grin at some charming, albeit vulgar, but magically played passage. The great magic happened. After all, we, dissatisfied Puritans, were captured, even if for a moment by a mighty wave, we, too, even if for moments, were seized by a sweet, charming intoxication ... ”“ Thousands of people were inflamed. They couldn't let this concert end. They clapped, shouted, stamped their feet. They forced the artist to show up again and again, to play beyond the program for the second, third, fourth time. He did it gracefully and beautifully. Bowed, played an encore; the crowd listened standing, breathless, utterly enchanted. They thought, these thousands, that now they had won, they thought that they had conquered the violinist, they thought that with their delight they could make him go out and play again and again. And he, I believe, played for an encore exactly what he agreed with the pianist in advance, and, having performed the last part of his concerto, not indicated in the program, but provided for, he disappeared and never returned. Nothing helped here, it was necessary to disperse, it was necessary to wake up. During this whole evening there were two people in me ... One was an old music lover with incorruptible taste, a puritan of good music. He was not only against the application of such skill to mediocre music, not only against these languid, entertaining pieces - he was against this whole audience, against rich people who you never see at a more serious concert ...

And the other person in me was a boy, he listened to the victorious hero of the violin, merged with him, took off with him, dreamed ... And how much I had to think about the artist himself, about this correct magician! Was he at heart a musician who would be glad to play only Bach and Mozart and only after a long struggle did he learn not to impose anything on the public and give them what they themselves demand? .. Or, perhaps, for very deep reasons and on on the basis of experience lost faith in the value of real music and the possibility of understanding it in today's life, and beyond all music, he sought first to return people to the origins of art, to the naked sensual beauty of sounds, to the naked power of primitive feelings? Didn't solve the riddle! I'm still thinking about it."

Here is a short story by Hermann Hesse. After reading it, it will seem to many of us that the author has concentrated in one story reflections on three important things in the performing culture of the 20th century: the spiritual value of certain compositions of the present and the past, the low tastes of the average listener, who made up the mass of the public, who to some extent , perhaps the great artist indulged, and, finally, the place of money, that is, the invasion of the financial world into the holy realms of real high performing arts. Indeed, reflections on these topics never become outdated, they are just as characteristic and relevant for today as for 1928 - an era separated from us not only by almost the past century, but also divided into periods of monstrous catastrophes and relative peace in history. the existence of mankind.

Let's return to the beginning and to the main question - who is this magician of the bow, who so struck the author in his divided mind of the visitor of such an unusual concert?

For the sake of pleasure, I asked this question, as already mentioned, to my acquaintances - musicians and non-musicians. One familiar non-musician, having read, apparently erroneously, the words "secular violinist" as "Soviet violinist" said that this magician ... Gidon Kremer! When I asked why Kremer in particular, I received a remarkable answer: “So he plays the tango, and Kremer plays the Piazzolla tango!” Of course, one could ask what era this story belongs to, as you can see the “airplane” is still a new means of transportation here, and the author himself in his youth heard the play of Joachim and Sarasate, who had gone to another world at the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently, the author (or his hero) was at that time about forty years old. But none of that mattered. My interlocutor knew Piazzolla, but did not know the dates of life and work of the greatest violinists of the nineteenth century, which is quite excusable for a non-musician.

So, this short story is dedicated to the concert of Fritz Kreisler, which took place, as you might guess, somewhere in one of the cities of Romanesque Switzerland in the mid-20s of the 20th century. By this time, Kreisler's fame was truly worldwide. He was the first artist to visit Japan; before him, no major classical musician had honored the audience of the Land of the Rising Sun with tours. In 1973, I was very surprised when I saw a portrait of Kreisler in a record store in Osaka. I then asked the seller if he knew who the man in the portrait was? He, without hesitation, answered - "Kreisler". To be honest, I was amazed at such knowledge by a seemingly simple person. Kreisler is still honored in Japan today precisely because he believed in the Japanese public and its ability to understand and appreciate classical music.

He was also the first internationally renowned artist to visit China and Korea. Of course, in those years there were cities in China where a significant number of Europeans lived, and yet China, Korea and Japan were not the Mecca of classical music. But Kreisler visited all these countries. Kreisler was not only in the Middle East - in Palestine, although some of his colleagues, for example, Arthur Rubinstein, played there more than once. There were reasons for that. But more on that later.

Hesse's description of the "virtuoso concerto" is of great interest even today to professional musicians. Some of the pieces from that program have come down to us as sound recordings, such as Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. Hesse's remark about the slightly fast tempo of the second movement of the Sonata is absolutely correct. It was Kreisler's style - the slow movements of all Beethoven's Sonatas (for piano and violin), which Kreisler for the first time in the world He recorded everything on gramophone records. They attract us in slow parts with some indescribable “Schubertian” mood, that is, with the style of a Schubertian song rather than a philosophical reflection of a great master. Perhaps this feeling of Beethoven's lyrics came from the Viennese character of the artist himself - his charm, love of life, love for the Viennese "air", which made even Beethoven's lyrics sound new in his performance.

Bach's "Chaconne" performed by Kreisler "reached" us only in the story of Henrik Schering, one of the outstanding violinists of the 20th century, who heard Kreisler in Paris somewhere in the early 1930s. The young violinist was then completely amazed by the sound of the violin - it seemed to him that in many episodes not one violinist played, but three at once! Such was his feeling from the very sound of the instrument in the hands of a great artist. Unfortunately, there is no recording of this composition, just as there is no recording of the performance of Tartini's Sonata "Devil's Trills", which Hesse told about. It should be added here that Hesse listened to this Sonata in processing Kreisler with his own cadence. That is why this composition made such an impression in his performance both on the audience and on Hesse himself.

Kreisler had an amazing trill, one of the greatest effects of violin playing. His incredibly fast, clearly articulated short trills always gave his playing a special charm. From the recordings of the Tartini Sonata left to us from the 20th century by other outstanding violinists, one can get a glimpse of Kreisler's performance of this work. One of the best recordings in the world was made by David Oistrakh shortly after the war. It is, along with the recording of the Sonata by Ida Handel, the pinnacle of the performing arts shown in this work.

The main secret of the success of this piece with the public and Hesse's extraordinary impression of the "difficulties" of a virtuoso character lies in a rather simple thing - this composition, with the exception of two or three places, is not at all as difficult and "devilish" as it is felt by the audience. The seeming difficulties are nothing more than skillfully used violin-instrumental effects inherent in the very nature of the instrument. These effects are akin to similar effects in the writings of Henryk Wieniawski (1835–1880). But you had to know about them and successfully identify them on your instrument! The wizards of the violin - Venyavsky and Kreisler, and before them Paganini - were their pioneers, skillfully used amazing harmonics, even double and triple ones, strikingly sounding passages of double notes, which fell upon the listener with dizzying speed, unaware of their natural naturalness and well-known "convenience" for violin virtuoso.

In other words, the art of using violin effects creates in the listener a sense of the extraordinary difficulty of the material being performed, which is in fact very natural and even almost "comfortable" for the violinist's hands. In this regard, the works of the famous virtuoso Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (1812–1865), who during his lifetime, according to the European public, were a competitor of Niccolo Paganini himself, stand at a completely different pole! His compositions, transcriptions and fantasies on operatic themes do not seem too difficult, lack brilliant effects, but in fact are hellishly difficult for performers. Some exception can only be his famous Etude "Rose" - variations on the theme of the once popular song "The Last Rose of Summer" for solo violin. Perhaps it was precisely this quality of Ernst's compositions that made most of them not only well forgotten, but, most likely, deservedly forgotten.

In this regard, I recall the Moscow concert of the Guide Kremer mentioned here in the winter of 1977 in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, who performed Ernst's Variations on an original theme in his program. The variations lasted over 15 minutes and established their reputation as a "deservedly forgotten work", despite the soloist's excellent playing.

The Virtuoso Concerto is not only a literary composition, but also the most valuable testimony of a thoughtful and educated listener, endowed with excellent and strict taste. And yet, even such a demanding and captious listener, in the end, despite his desperate efforts to resist the art of Fritz Kreisler, was subdued by the performance of a brilliant musician.

* * *

Professor Carl Flesch, one of the world-famous violin teachers of the 20th century, vividly described in his memoirs the first visit to the Vienna Conservatory and the meeting with the patriarch of the Viennese violin school, Josef Helmesberger Sr. “He did not like two categories of children - Jews and short-sighted. I was both,” Flesh wrote. Helmesberger, however, received him and his mother with great courtesy. They are offered to start by going to the hall where, as the professor said, little Kreisler is rehearsing Sarasate's Faust fantasy with the orchestra. Kreisler's game made an indelible impression on the boy Flash. But if Professor Helmesberger did not like Jews, then for some reason this did not apply to young Kreisler.

Fritz Kreisler studied with the professor's son, Josef Helmesberger Jr., nicknamed Pepe. He was, among other things, a talented composer - the author of numerous operettas, he also worked as an accompanist of the Vienna Opera Orchestra, but he was a reveler, a reveler, and often paid tribute to young ballerinas. After a short romance with one of the ballerinas and a meeting with her father, "Pepe" began to limp. Nevertheless, it was in his class that Fritz Kreisler brilliantly graduated from the Vienna Conservatory at the age of 10 and soon left for Paris, accompanied by his mother. There, in 1887, at the age of 12, he graduated with First Prize and a Gold Medal from the Paris Conservatory under Professor Joseph Lambert Massard (at one time the teacher of Heinrich Wieniawski and Eugene Isai). Even then, Massard wrote a short letter to Kreisler's father, which said: "I was the teacher of Wieniawski and many others, but little Fritz is great among them."

After that, the young Kreisler, although not quite smoothly and not immediately, gradually became a virtuoso concert performer, by the age of eighteen (according to the description in Riemann's dictionary) "traveled many countries of the world up to Russia and Greece." By the beginning of the 20th century, Kreisler had become one of the most famous and popular violinists in the world (with the living Joachim, Izaya, Sarasat, Jan Kubelik, Ole Bull). One of the critics wrote already in the 20s:

"Heifetz is by far the most accomplished violinist, but Kreisler is the most beloved." Oddly enough, only three books have been written about him: journalist Louis Lochner (a long-term American correspondent in Berlin), who was close friends with the artist and met him very often, so his book "Fritz Kreisler" is actually an authorized biography. It came out in 1950 - in English, German and French (a copy of the book in German was sent to my professor D.M. Tsyganov in 1951. The book was delayed, it’s good that not the addressee himself, and was issued only in 1955- m year according to the agenda from the special depository). The second book about Kreisler was written in Russian by Israel Yampolsky, coincidentally my first violin teacher. This book is basically a summary of Lochner's book with additions by the author. The third book was published in 1998 and is written by Emmy Biancolli, the daughter of the famous American music critic Luis Biancolli. It touches on some aspects of the life of the great violinist-composer, which are bypassed in Lochner's book. Bypassed not by chance - Kreisler's wife Harriet strictly controlled the work of Lochner and was categorically against the publication of the chapter "Culture in Boots", which spoke of the beginning of the Nazi era in Germany. Harriet was a fan of the "new order" and wanted to eliminate this chapter. But here the author - an intelligent and gentle person - firmly said that in this case there would be no book at all. This was no longer Harriet Kreisler's plan.

This essay does not pretend to be a full biography of the brilliant violinist, but includes some rather little known details, as well as an excerpt from an interview with Kreisler, published for the first time in Russian, concerning the performing process - the connection of music with real life and its highest purpose as a form art.

* * *

Friedrich-Max Kreisler was born on February 2, 1875 in Vienna to the doctor Samuel (Solomon) Kreisler and his wife Anna (nee Rehes) in the 4th district of Vienna Wieden. Christopher Gluck lived in this area in the 18th century, and Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss Jr. lived in the 19th century. The future Viennese mayor Karl Luger was born and lived in Wieden, who already in 1897 founded the "Christian Socialist Party" - the prototype of the future National Socialist Party. But while the children of Dr. Kreisler were growing up, no one had thought about such a neighborhood yet. In this area, in the current sense inhabited by the "middle class", the family of Dr. Kreisler hardly reached this level. First, there were five children in the family, two of whom died at an early age. Among the three remaining - Fritz, Hugo and their sister Ella - only the eldest Fritz was noted for longevity. Secondly, Dr. Kreisler was an impractical person, a humanist and altruist. Often he did not take anything from poor patients, leaving them his money for medicines.

Kreisler's grandfather and father arrived in Vienna from Krakow, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. The grandfather was a street vendor, but he eventually managed to educate his son, who became a doctor. A fairly common profession for a poor Viennese Jewish family. What we know about the life of the great musician's family comes from his own stories to Louis Lochner. It is amazing that they never the words "Jew", "Jewish" are not found. The family was not only assimilated, but also completely distanced from Jewry.

Dr. Kreisler loved music, and in an amateur quartet, weekly Saturdays who gathered at his house, played the part of the violin. These meetings often created tension in the very modest budget of the doctor's family, reminiscent in character of Russian zemstvo doctors of those years, well known to us from literature. Anna Kreisler, who suffered from myelitis, had to prepare at least a light snack to accompany the beer, which ended every weekly quartet meeting. Yet Dr. Kreisler was no ordinary amateur violinist and physician. His guests were Sigmund Freud, a chess partner; the star of European surgery Theodor Billroth, a close friend of Johannes Brahms and composer Karl Goldmark. Here are the memoirs of Fritz Kreisler himself, told by him to Louis Lochner for his book: “Freud made a deep impression on me, although basically the subject of discussions with my father was beyond my understanding ... He tried to treat my sick mother with hypnosis, but I never saw her after all normal walking ... Freud was not yet famous then, but his father was interested in his theory of psychoanalysis, especially to explain a number of cases when he sometimes had to replace a permanent doctor in the police department.

The family lived in one of the lanes of Wiedener Haupt-strasse in an apartment building, still occupying a 6-room apartment. In this area, such houses did not yet have hot water, and every week a special company brought a bath and hot water for the family. The doctor himself was content with public baths. This practice existed in those years not only in Austria, but also in Germany and France.

“I knew notes much earlier than I learned to read,” Kreisler told Lochner. “I was given a toy violin, but not so toy that it was impossible to extract sounds from it. And so, during a quartet meeting in our house, I began to play the Austrian national anthem with the quartet. Soon all the members of the ensemble fell silent, and I alone finished playing the Austrian Anthem in the correct key. Everyone said that I was a “little miracle”, and my father bought me the smallest, but already a real violin.” As you can see, the father began to give him the first lessons, but soon the first real teacher of "Frizzi" was a friend of his father - the concertmaster of the "Ring Theater" orchestra, Jacques Aubert. The little violinist made such incredibly rapid progress that the question arose of his admission to the Vienna Conservatory. The normal age for admission to the preparatory department was 10 years old. Kreisler was still only seven (the official date of birth of the great artist - February 2, 1875, can still raise some doubts. Very often in those years, and even in the first decades of the 20th century, child prodigies were reduced by two or three years in order to slightly prolong their career precisely "little miracle" It is very possible that Kreisler was born in 1873, since on his first tour of America in 1888, some reviewers suggested that he was already 14-15 years old, and not his "official" 13

The entrance exams for the preparatory department of the Vienna Conservatory in 1882 were completely different from the entrance exams faced by our generations in the 1940s. True, in the late 50s and 60s, it was already required to play a program of a number of simple pieces on the instrument, as well as pass an exam in elementary music theory. And yet it did not compare with the highest demands of the Vienna Conservatory in 1882. Suffice it to say that already at the preparatory department it was necessary to study harmony and ... composition! Little Kreisler's teacher was none other than the famous symphonic composer Anton Bruckner! He taught his class not only the basics of harmony, but also the art of writing fugues - both on a given topic and on his own! Today it seems incredible, but such were the requirements at the Vienna Conservatory of those years.

2.07.2019 at 16:16 · VeraSchegoleva · 890

10 most famous violinists in the world

The violin in its purest form is not music for everyone. This instrument acquired its current form in the 16th century, quickly becoming popular. In recent years, this popularity has been lost, but the sound of the violin has been organically woven into the most inappropriate at first glance genres.

Nevertheless, talented violinists are in demand even now, although their names are known to a rather narrow circle of listeners. We decided to correct this injustice and tell about the 10 most famous violinists of the world, past and present.

10. Janine Jansen

Dutch violinist Janine Jansen was born in 1978, and picked up a musical instrument for the first time at the age of 6. It immediately became clear to the teachers that they had a real talent in front of them, as the girl incredibly quickly mastered the basics and began to play complex parts.

Participating in competitions, where she regularly won prizes, Yanin gradually grew up and was invited to the big stage.

In 2001 she made her debut: together with the Scottish National Orchestra, she performed the Brahms Violin Concerto.

Her talent has been repeatedly recognized with prestigious awards: an award from the Ministry of Culture of the Netherlands, an Edison award, an Echo Classic, etc. Also, BBC radio twice (in 2002 and 2004) recognized her as a “New Generation Artist” .

9. Itzhak Perlman

In the second half of the 20th century, it is difficult to find the names of violinists who could compare with Itzhak Perlman.

He became interested in the instrument at the age of 4, when he heard a concert of classical music on the local Israeli radio. When he turned 10, his performances were already played on the radio.

World fame came to him in 1958, after a visit to the Ed Sullivan show, which was one of the most popular on American television.

In 1963, when Perlman was only 18 years old, he performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall, where not every adult musician manages to get on the stage.

In addition to playing the violin, he is also a conductor and teacher, who has trained dozens of talented performers.

His collection of awards inspires respect: what are only 5 Grammy statuettes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

8. Hilary Khan

Like Perlman, Hilary Khan She started playing at the age of 4 and performed her first solo concert at 10.

At the moment, the 40-year-old violinist has two Grammy awards, but over time there will probably be more of them.

During her career, she managed to give over 800 concerts, most of which were accompanied by an orchestra.

She has visited with performances almost three dozen countries, 200 cities and worked with 150 conductors.

Her “working instrument” deserves special attention: Hilary plays the violin of 1864, which was made by the famous master Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (the bow was also made in the 19th century).

7. Sarah Chang

American with Korean roots Sarah Chang was born into a family of musicians: her father was a violinist, and her mother was a composer. It is not surprising that she took the violin in her hands at the age of 4, and at 10 she released her first album, calling it Debut.

Her mentor was Dorothy DeLay, who in turn learned from the best: Itzhak Perlman, Shlomo Mintz and others.

Now Sarah, who is only 38 years old, continues to actively tour around the world, giving an average of 150 concerts a year.

In her repertoire one can find both works by Vivaldi and "European romantics": Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, Brahms, etc.

6. Victoria Mullova

Victoria Mullova was born in the Moscow region in 1959, and already in the 80s she began to win major competitions: first the Sibelius name in Finland, and then the name in Moscow. By that time she had graduated from the conservatory, but there were no concerts.

Not having the necessary connections to break into the realities of the USSR, she simply ran away in 1983 when she was in Finland. Having become a refugee, she received a visa to the United States, where she was settled in Washington, and her career rapidly went up.

She became one of the best in the world, which she would never have achieved by remaining in the Union (in her own opinion).

Interesting fact: before her escape, she played the Stradivarius violin, which belonged to the State Fund. Not wanting to be seen as a thief and get in trouble, she left her at the hotel before leaving to be found and handed over to officials.

5. Fritz Kreisler

One of the most famous violinists of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries began to hone his skills at the age of 4, and already at 7 he entered the Vienna Conservatory, becoming the youngest student in history.

They accepted children from the age of 14, but seeing the talent Fritz Cruiser the selection committee decided to make an exception and did not lose.

Interesting fact: in the personal collection of the musician at different times there were instruments of such masters as Stradivari, the Guarneri brothers, Carlo Bergonzi and others. One of his favorites was Guarneri's "Del Gesu" violin, but he had to part with it because of problems with the US Internal Revenue Service. To resolve the issue, he presented the instrument to the Library of Congress, where it is still kept.

4. Niccolo Paganini

great violinist and Niccolo Paganini He began playing the violin at the age of 6 at the suggestion of his father, who noticed his son's musical abilities.

Paganini Sr. treated little Nikolo rather cruelly, punishing him for laziness and insufficient diligence. In the future, the child really began to like music, so he stopped being lazy.

As a child, he composed several works (they have not survived to this day), which not every adult could perform because of their complexity, although Nicolo himself played them without difficulty.

His figure had a great influence on classical music and culture, and the first film was made in 1923. Variations to the music of Paganini were recorded by such masters as Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Chopin and others.

3. Leonidas Kavakos

Leonidas Kavakos graduated from the Athens and Greek conservatories, continuing his studies at Indiana University under the direction of Joseph Gingold.

In 1985, when Leonidas was 18 years old, he won his first international competition, of which there were many more.

A special place in the work of Kavakos is occupied by the Sibelius concerto, which brought him popularity, as well as the music of Tchaikovsky, Paganini, Schubert, Debussy and others.

2. Arcangelo Corelli

Italian violinist Arcangelo Corelli was born on February 17, 1653, and there is practically no information about the first half of his life.

It is known for certain that from 1681 until his death in 1713, he lived with Cardinal Ottoboni on full support. The Cardinal, being a well-known patron of the arts of his time, fully provided for Corelli so that he could deal exclusively with music.

Arcangelo's works are considered an excellent guide for learning to play the violin, especially his sonatas. In this regard, he achieved, if not perfection, then the highest skill.

The pinnacle of his work is a collection of 23 violin sonatas "Folia" on the theme of Spanish-Portuguese folk dance.

1. Antonio Vivaldi

Let's finish the list with another famous one, whose name is known to everyone - Antonio Vivaldi. A virtuoso violinist, composer, conductor and even a Catholic priest, he managed to create a rich legacy during his life. Four violin concertos "The Seasons" are considered the greatest work in the genre in the 18th century.

He had a huge impact on many areas: virtuoso playing, solo instrumental concerto, and even created his own style of performance, nicknamed "Lombard".

What else to see:

Leader - Stradivarius?

The most famous violins are not only the most expensive or the most sounding. The rating of instruments also includes violins, which have gained fame due to their unique design.

Is it worth asking the question, what are the most famous violins that sing in the hands of modern performers? Surely there will be only one answer - Stradivarius violins. As a last resort, they will be able to remember the Amati tools. Is it really?

Top 5 since the end

If we make the top violins, then the 5th-6th place is occupied not by the works of ancient masters, but by modern instruments - electric violins made for the talented musician Stopprd Linzi, who ordered them. The violins have a special sound, and ... a unique design, which explains the price - $ 2.2 million. Each tool has 50,000 Swarovski crystals!

The next place in the ranking is occupied by the violin, which was played by Niccolo Paganini himself. She came out from under the hands of Guarneri del Gesu, an Italian master, in 1742. It was on this violin that Paganini performed his legendary concert, during which all his strings burst. For a long time they thought that this was just a beautiful legend. But it turned out - the violin exists! And a private buyer, who does not want publicity, bought it for his collection for $ 5 million.

The honorable third place is occupied by the Guarneri violin, created in 1741. Experts currently value this unique instrument at $7 million. But its owner, a Russian businessman, once bought it for half the price.

Second place went to Stradivarius violins, one of which was sold for $9.8 million. The great master gave a name to all his brainchildren - that's how he called the instruments - and the most expensive daughter is called Lady Blunt. This instrument was made, one might even say - executed, in 1721.

And in the first place in the ranking is again the violin of Guarneri - Viettan. It was brought to light by a brilliant violinist, Niccolò Paganini. It is considered the most valuable not only in terms of money, but also in terms of sound. The price of the instrument is 18 million dollars. It is in the possession of the Belgian Eugene Ysaye.

Although the Stradivari violin is ranked second in the rankings, most modern performers prefer it. The instruments have a completely unique sound, and every Stradivarius violin can be recognized by its voice. In total, the master made more than 1100 instruments. Less than half have survived to this day.

Remembering the most famous violin makers and the most famous violins, one cannot but recall the instruments that were made by the Russian serf master Batov Ivan Andreevich. Once upon a time, Batov's instrument was played by Nicollo Paganini's rival, Karel Lipinski.

Batov restored many of the Stradivarius violins that are now played in the hands of Russian performers. Rumor has it that one of these instruments is ranked ninth in the world violin ranking. Its cost is 1.2 million dollars.

But still, one can see that the majority of famous violins are the violins of Italian masters. And it is very pleasant that among the wonderful instruments there are those that have passed through the hands of a Russian restorer.