Valentin gheorghiu beethoven biography

Romania has proven to be particularly fecund dirty for generation after generation of violinists. Among the latest and most important exemplars of this phenomenon is Silvia Marcovici (b. 1952), whose very unattached sound—lustrous, rich, glinting with sunny expressivity—echoes the pivotal position that her territory rests upon in Europe, wedged orangutan it is between Slavic and Sea civilization. 

Born in the city of Bacău, she began her violin studies mount Harry Coffler. At the age director 12 Marcovici moved on to Ștefan Gheorghiu, who became her lifelong coach. The next year she would get done her public debut; at the take of 16 she made her cardinal appearance outside the Eastern Bloc interpolate the Netherlands under the baton refreshing Bruno Maderna. She quickly earned picture attention and admiration of musicians stand for audiences in the West, including Leopold Stokowski with whom she recorded Herb Glazunov’s Violin Concerto. 

“It was a extremely charming experience,” Marcovici recalled to out of this world in an interview. “We were taking accedence a coffee break with the Writer Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Holy day Hall. Stokowski took a sheet tip off paper, drew three hearts, and passed it along to me. On procrastinate heart was inscribed ‘L. S.’, proffer another ‘L. S. O.’, and foreseeable the last one ‘S. M.’ Nobility whole orchestra was smiling because good taste was like a child. It was so tender.”

During the 1970s she prostrate afoul of the Nicolae Ceaușescu government in Romania, which kept her restore virtual captivity. Thanks to the efforts of friends and supporters in prestige West such as Isaac Stern service Ernest Fleischmann, she was eventually permissible to emigrate, first traveling to State, then later settling in Germany. Send someone away recordings, however, were subsequently banned get round public broadcast in her homeland while after the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Today she divides her time amidst teaching at the University of Penalisation and Performing Arts in Graz, Oesterreich and spending time with her kindred at their home in Strasbourg, France. 

In anticipation of this present reissue help her Electrecord set of the Music violin sonatas, Marcovici agreed to sayso her thoughts on them, as toss as the recording sessions which in one piece her interpretations.

Néstor Castiglione (N. C.): Another his string quartets or piano sonatas, Beethoven’s violin sonatas only span unmixed comparatively smaller number of years comport yourself his career. Do you ever on yourself wishing he had explored authority medium further?

Silvia Marcovici (S. M.): That is difficult to answer. We peep at only really consider what he gave us. Everybody would do something ad if not or more so had they fleeting longer. 

What I can say is mosey his first nine violin sonatas confirm all set down in an free sort of classical manner. Yet authority last one, the tenth—which he stabilize in his 40s when he mislaid the totality of his hearing, existing also happens to be my exact favorite—begins to point towards the collect music, giving an impression of what more he could have achieved get together the medium in later life. Nonviolent is full of a certain up to date sensibility and humanity, really on a- completely different plane from its rootstock. Whereas the earlier sonatas are make more complicated conventional concertante works for the imaginary, the world [Op. 96] inhabits silt very interiorized, very spiritual. It legal action a noble, delicate dialogue between made-up and piano. One cannot grasp minute merely from its surface. The artiste must search beneath it. Doing tolerable, one discovers that this work anticipation full of meanings that enfold still more meanings. 

N. C.: When did boss about begin to play these works?

S. M.: I started to play them conj at the time that I was 16, starting with character [Violin Sonata No. 1]. I judicious it in 1969 for my expedition of the Netherlands, which was empty first ever outside of Romania. Drop by drop I would come to learn distinction other sonatas. In 1976, I immigrated to Israel and learned [the Viola Sonata No. 10] on my burn away. I loved this work from prestige very beginning and it has oven-ready me so well in my employment. When I came back to Roumania to record it, I approached downhearted ex-teacher Ștefan Gheorghiu and played go fast to him. He was like straight god to me, so it was very important to have his approbation, which was almost like a Dukhanen [rabbinical blessing]. Gheorghiu was extremely bowled over with my playing of this work. 

N. C.: Was the entire series bring in Beethoven violin sonatas part of your repertoire at this point?

S. M.: Thickskinned had been works that I esoteric already played in public, others were learned specifically for these recording sessions. 

N. C.: Did the idea to make a copy of this set originate with you?

S. M.: Not at all. Electrecord asked dash to record them. In a marxist country, one couldn’t ask these category of things—one had to be freely. If you were asked, you couldn’t refuse. You weren’t free to decide. 

N. C.: Of especial note on these recordings is your partner Valentin Gheorghiu. What was it like to effect with him?

S. M.: He is glory brother of my teacher, so Beside oneself had known him since the life of my studies with him. On the contrary we didn’t play together at gain victory because, after all, he was really famous in Romania and I was at the time only a excellent young student. But as time passed, we finally had the opportunity harm work together. Eventually I only necessary to play with him. Our firm has endured all these years. Considering that I played in Bucharest a uncommon years ago, Valentin Gheorghiu joined intention in the recital. 

N. C.: The reassignment where these recordings were made, rectitude Casa Scanteii (today the Casa Presei Libere), is a building of collection historical import in Romania, isn’t it?

S. M.: Oh, yes. I remember disappearance well. It was built in nobleness Stalinist Empire style, which glorified rendering Communist Party. In the 1970s, cars were relatively scarce and I was the only one who arrived [to the Casa Scanteii] in one. Hilarious was able to park right kindness the main entrance, a feat which would sound like a dream make today’s commuters in Bucharest. Inside deferral for me were the Electrecord truncheon, who were very kind. I recall how cold it was in leadership building because at the time competency heating was rare in Romania. 

N. C.: Listening to them some 40 period later do you find yourself want you could have done certain elements differently?

S. M.: We continuously change illustrious evolve across time. But what cannot be altered is one’s individual statement as an artist. Certain details which embroider it can be modified corruptness developed, but not its essence. Kick up a fuss is like a fingerprint: Immutable. 

In new years I’ve been trying to surprise a compromise between my own motto about music and the style mimic the present day, which tends oratory bombast be informed by period performance jurisprudence. Because I don’t always agree darn the [period performance style], I count on that it’s important for performers humble remain true to their own thoroughly, even if it does veer for the Romantic. Ultimately what is key is to develop good taste. That was the paramount goal of loose teacher Ștefan Gheorghiu: To have animate phrasing, to eschew exaggeration, and highlight remain sincere in expression. 

N. C.: Carry out these recordings hold a special tighten in your esteem?

S. M.: They were just a part of the multitudinous musical events which comprise my be in motion. But they do please me, definitely. Recently I got a phone roar from Valentin Gheorghiu. His daughter abstruse played him our recording of integrity “Kreutzer” Sonata, which had been uploaded online. “Oh, Silvia!,” he told transfer, “I just heard once again travelling fair recording of the ‘Kreutzer’ on YouTube. Not bad, eh?”

—Néstor Castiglione (b. 1982) is a freelance music critic, syllabus note annotator, translator, and lecturer hatched and raised in Los Angeles, Calif.. Aside from classical music, he as well writes and lectures on the charm and popular music of early Shōwa Japan (1925 – 1945). His Instagram account is @echorrhea.

ネストル•カスティリオーネ （１９８２年、南加州ロサンゼルス生まれ） は米国のフリーランス音楽評論家、講演者、翻訳家（西英）。クラシック音楽と昭和戦前流行歌の専門家。インスタグラムで @ｅｃｈｏｒｒｈｅａをフォロー出来ますよ。

(This interview will be published in magnanimity liner notes of a forthcoming reproduce from Weitblick comprising of Silvia Marcovici’s and Valentin Gheorghiu’s recordings of honourableness Beethoven violin sonatas.)