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April 2001 NewsletterINDEX Book Reviews *** THREE NEW BOOKS *** It is such a thrill to find students walking into our shop who know Fritz Kreisler, Jacques Thibaud, Mischa Elman, Zino Francescatti, Ruggiero Ricci, Nathan Milstein, Joseph Szigeti, Jasca Heifetz and the likes. However, it also happens that not only middle and high school students, but even string majors do not know these names! This makes one realize that something is amiss, somewhere... Three new books may help redress this situation: "Fritz Kreisler - Love's Sorrow, Love's Joy", by Amy Biancolli (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press); "Heifetz As I Knew Him", by Ayke Agus (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press); and "Jascha Heifetz Through My Eyes", by Sherry Kloss (Muncie IND: Ball State University, Kloss Classics). The Kreisler book's title refers to two of his most popular pieces, "Liebesleid" and "Liebesfreud". "Liebesleid" is often wrongly translated as "Love Song", as if the German were "Liebeslied". ("Lied" = song; "Leid", however, means "sorrow".) If one realizes that "Liebesleid" has to do with sorrow, one will of course interpret the music differently than if one thought this was a happy love song! It is a pity that the author of the Kreisler book persistently brings everything back to Heifetz, as if there is/was animosity between Kreisler and Heifetz ... as if Heifetz must somehow be denigrated to make Kreisler look good. Neither of the two masters deserves nor needs such treatment. Kreisler was a fine artist in his own right. The book purports to add newer and better insights to the earlier book on Kreisler by Lochner. However, the latter (which happens to be the official biography), still remains the best. The Kloss book on Heifetz deals mainly with the artist as teacher and reveals his many and complex facets. The writer, who worked with him, obviously admires him greatly. She also inherited his wonderful Tononi violin (on which he debuted in Carnegie Hall as a young man) and made two CD's with popular Heifetz transcriptions. The Agus book on Heifetz reveals quite a bit of the artist's darker, tragic, side. Above all else towers his music, always his music. These are gripping books, whose often-painful reading makes one ponder deeply. It happens that the publication of these books coincide with the publication of several volumes of Kreisler's compositions and Heifetz's transcriptions by Carl Fischer, New York. Simply reading books will not completely help the situation of students not knowing the great masters of the past. Above all students should listen to recordings of these masters' art. "Listen, listen, listen!" is the key to artistic development. If reading the three books reviewed here make their readers go back to listen again to the artists (or, rather, listen and then play!) then the authors would have accomplished much. *** OUR CUSTOMERS' COMMENTS *** JG, violinist, orchestra director, and presently a violin dealer in South
Africa, writes: AB, our oldest customer (92), writes: AM in St Augustine writes: PR of Brooksville writes (03.09.2001): *** BRAG BOX *** A wonderful evening of chamber music was held Monday April 2 at 7:30 pm in the Thomas Center under auspices of Gainesville Youth Chamber Ensembles (Director: Glen Smerage). Apart from other musicians, there were 24 string players, of whom 21 are our customers and 14 bought or rented their instruments originally from us! *** GRADUATION!!!! *** We find that parents often buy a fine violin for their graduating son
or daughter. This month we suggest our stunning exact copy/replica of
the decorated 1679 "Hellier" Stradivarius, which, together with
a boxed luxury book on the violin (by Machold Fine Violins), sells at
a list price of $8,000.00. Our normal price is $6,000.00. We currently
have two of these fine concert instruments on special at $5,000.00 each,
first come, first served. *** THE ALACHUA COUNTY YOUTH ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT *** The Alachua County Youth Orchestra presents its Spring Concert on Sunday, April 29, at 7:30pm at the University of Florida's Memorial Auditorium. Carrying on its 33-year-old tradition, admission is FREE. Come and hear the County's finest young musicians performing Saint-Saens, Haydn and selections from the musical "Miss Saigon". A special feature of this concert is the performance by the winner of the Hubbell Concerto Competition, an annual competition sponsored by the ACYO. For more information, call (352) 371-9721. *** OTHER EVENTS *** · Musician of the Year · Please attend the Stellar Student Recitals on April 5 and May 8 at 8:00 pm at the Thomas Center, 302 NE 6 Ave, Gainesville. · The Elanor Bailey Memorial Recital will be performed by Canadian
lute *** RATHER BE SAFE THAN SORRY: SERVICE YOUR CAR! *** Also important: Let your INSTRUMENT be serviced by us well ahead of an important event, such as the upcoming "State" Festival in Avon Park. Reserve your spot in our busy timetable NOW. Call (352) 372-8264 (1 - 6 pm). We guarantee substantial tonal improvement and an increase in ease of playability. Remember… We Sell Sound! *** QUIZ: THE "AUTHENTIC MUSIC" MOVEMENT *** Much could be said and argued about this fairly modern movement that uses period instruments to make music in an "authentic" way, in other words, as it would have sounded in the composer's time. Much valuable musicological and other research has come about in connection with this movement. For instance, plans and data relating to baroque violins and bows abound, as well as to baroque-style playing, baroque note ornamentation, and baroque performance practice. Our quiz for the month: Suppose you want to play 16th century music in an "authentic" way - would you need an old or a new violin? First correct answer wins a lovely poster, "Restoring that old violin." *** DR SUZUKI SEZ... *** Listen to as many different interpretations of your songs as possible! "Dr. Suzuki developed tone through listening. He spent hours listening to Fritz Kreisler until he figured out the secret of Kreisler's gorgeous, warm tone. Thibaut and Casals were studied minutely also for tone and phrasing." From "My Teacher, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki" by Margery Aber *** PREVIOUS QUIZ WINNER *** Question: Who was Leopold Auer? Name two of his pupils. Answer Correspondence: Miles wrote: "Hi Jan: Jan replied: "Many thanks. You actually won. Yes, Zimbalist was an Auer pupil. Congrats!!!" [Miles got a double Heifetz CD as prize.] Miles responded: "Wow - Listening to my father's 78 rpm record collection has finally paid off! What a great idea your newsletter is, Jan! I can't wait 'til April!" *** HUNDREDTH HEIFETZ ANNIVERSARY *** We'd like to ask suggestions as to what our business could do in/for the community during 2001 in honor of Heifetz. Please send us your suggestions by hitting the "Reply" button before 4.30.2001 and offering us your ideas. For the author of the suggestion that we eventually adopt, we have a special double CD and poster of Heifetz as a gift. *** THE SMALLEST VIOLINS *** We still have some tiny 1/32-size violins left, too cute for words, BUT real playable instruments. They are beautiful. We have the little outfits on sale for $175.00. CALL now to reserve yours! They make GREAT gifts. Some people buy them for their dolls. Others buy them as ornaments (wall hangings for the music room). But mostly people buy them... for little kids to play on! Offer ends 4/30/2001. The violin in our outfits is a Janos Szekeli's "Balaton" by the Hungarian Violin Company (TM). *** SOLD! - SPECIAL OLDIE OF MARCH *** We had an old violin as special of the month of March, a fine Widhalm (Nurnberg) dated 1857. Perfectly and ethically restored, great tone, enormously powerful, with focused projection. A true concert violin. IT HAS BEEN SOLD. Shhhhhhhh: Read in our website about the question whether old violins are necessarily better than new ones. *** LADIES' VIOLINS *** A smaller-than-4/4 violin is needed by many grownups and growing- ups who have shorter arms and smaller hands. Yet the sound must be like a 4/4, the body of which is typically 14 inches long. In days past these smaller-sized violins were called "Lady's Violins"; now we call them 7/8 violins. The bodies are typically 13 1/2 to 13 7/8 inches long. We now have stunning Johann Strauss II "Viennese Red" 7/8 violins available, as well as others. Come try them out ... ladies AND gentlemen! *** $25 DOMINANTS - SPECIAL?! *** No, this is no special offer. Our NORMAL price for a full set of Thomastik Dominant strings, expertly fitted to your violin by us, is $25 plus tax. We think this is reasonable! (How much did you pay? Say again? Huh? WOW!!! You could have saved a LOT if you had come to us.) Until next time, |