This past weekend the world lost one of its greatest cellists. Hungarian-born Janos Starker died at the age of 88 after a long and distinguished career as an orchestral player, soloist and teacher. He was a child prodigy who gave his first performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto at age 14. His older brothers were murdered by the Nazis and Starker himself spent time in an internment camp.
Starker came to the United States in 1948 to take up the position of principal cellist of the Dallas Symphony. In 1952 he took up the same position with the Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner. After six years he quit to concentrate on a solo career and teaching at Indiana University.
He recorded most of the important works for cello and he was especially renowned for his interpretation of Kodaly's Sonata for Solo Cello Op. 8. He recorded the work four times. I heard Starker play it live in the 1950s and it was an unforgettable experience. His virtuosity, beauty of tone and incredible concentration made a deep impression.
As a soloist Starker was commanding and mesmerizing. His stone-faced demeanor made him the Heifetz of the cello. Of his contemporaries Casals and Piatigorsky were far more emotional, but Starker's accuracy and command of style were often superior.
This video captures Starker in his prime playing the first movement of the Kodaly in Tokyo, July 7, 1988.
One of Herbert von Karajan's lesser-known achievements was the creation of a training orchestra associated with the Berlin Philharmonic. Over time it has become enormously successful, with alumni going on to take positions in major orchestras all over the world.
In this video the current music director of the Berlin Philharmonic, Simon Rattle, talks about how this orchestra was created and how it functions. Clearly, it has become an important part of the life of the Berlin Philharmonic itself.
Colin Davis began his musical career as an angry and arrogant young man but lived long enough to become a beloved and venerated figure. He died this past weekend at the age of 85 after a long and distinguished career.
His "big break" came in 1959 when he filled in for an ailing Otto Klemperer in a concert performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Philharmonia Orchestra. It was a huge success. Davis went on to become one of the finest Mozart conductors of his generation, combining grace and elegance with crisp rhythms and expressive intensity. But he had a wide range of musical interests and offered performances of Handel, Haydn, Beethoven, Sibelius and Elgar that were a unique blend of accuracy and insight.
One of his greatest achievements was to draw attention to the music of Hector Berlioz. In the 1950s Berlioz was known for only a handful of pieces and his stature was not widely recognized. Davis changed all that. He understood this music and championed it whenever possible. He collaborated with Berlioz scholar David Cairns and with Philips Records to record virtually the whole of Berlioz' output including the operas.
Davis also took a serious interest in the music of contemporary British composers. He became a strong advocate of Michael Tippett and premiered many of his major works.
Colin Davis held a series of major appointments that included music directorships of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, succeeding Solti, and the BBC Symphony, the Bavarian Radio Symphony and the Dresden Staatskapelle. His last major appointment was as principal conductor of the London Symphony.
Davis had the distinction of being asked to head no fewer than three major American orchestras at various times: the Cleveland Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. He turned down all three but he did accept principal guest conductorships in Boston and New York.
When Colin Davis passed away a few days ago the NY Times published an obituary that was a travesty. The writer made the claim that Davis was not widely recognized or appreciated until 1992. In fact, he had already been at the top of his profession for nearly 30 years by that time!
I heard Davis conduct often during his association with the Boston Symphony in the 1970s. I will never forget a glorious Elgar First from Tanglewood and a hair-raising Final Scene from Hamlet at Symphony Hall. Another remarkable performance was a complete Messiah at Tanglewood. Davis had made a recording of the work in 1966 that was a revelation. Using the latest scholarship Davis gave us a much lighter and cleaner Messiah than many of us were used to hearing. It was a game-changer. That Tanglewood performance helped to spread the word about this "new" Messiah. Another great occasion was a definitive performance of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique in Toronto with the Bavarian Radio Symphony.
I interviewed Davis in Boston in the 1970s and he struck me as deeply introspective and self-critical. He was a famous conductor by this time and yet he didn't really enjoy the trappings of fame, and was very suspicious of what it meant to be a "Maestro." With a snarl he complained about this "aggressive piece of wood" that was the tool of his trade.
He was a deeply sensitive man who was hard on his colleagues but mostly hard on himself. Above all, he loved music and illuminated a great deal of it for millions of listeners.
The video features Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations, a piece often played when prominent people pass away. It is a fitting tribute to the passing of Sir Colin himself. The video is interesting for other reasons too. Notice the very slow tempo. It has become fashionable to play Nimrod a lot faster these days. I think Sir Colin gets it exactly right.
Notice also the fluency of Davis' right hand. This is not just conducting technique; it is grace and beauty that raises baton-waving to an art form.
I believe that this performance of Nimrod was given as an encore at a concert in Tokyo by the Dresden Staatskapelle.
Talk about busy! How does one person manage to hold down the position of principal horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and yet find time to be conductor and music director of the Hamilton Philharmonic? He is also a faculty member at the New England Conservatory. James Sommerville is not only talented but thrives on making the most of his time. And did I mention that he takes physical fitness very seriously too? Ever considered competing in a triathlon? This is an Olympic sport that is actually three sports combined: running, swimming and cycling - at the highest level. This is what James Sommerville does for fun when he is not on the podium in Hamilton or leading the horn section in one of the world's greatest orchestras.
Canada has produced more than its share of world-class musicians and James Sommerville is one of the best of them. Here is a recent video conversation with Sommerville produced by the Boston Symphony.
Billy Mayerl (1902-1959) was an English pianist and composer, well-known for his contributions in the field of light music. His specialty may have been "light music" but he was a master. He appeared as piano soloist in the first UK performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in 1925. He wrote some memorable songs including "Marigold" which he plays in this video. He was also tremendously inventive at the keyboard, as you will also see in this video.
La Scena Musicale's award-winning website SCENA.org has been a world leader of classical music and arts news since 1996. Today's Classical Music Video Blog is our video pick of the day.
Read the press release at http://bit.ly/LSMPRVidBlog . Submit your favourite video to todaysvideo@lascena.org.
