Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (1/2) Ann Fontanella

The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is one of my favorites and I first played it at age 6. This is the Auer-version of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and includes a compositional analysis and history. Click (more info) for a history of the Concerto. This video includes the first 10 minutes of the 1st movement (Part 2/2 is in the related videos box).

Tchaikovsky wanted his Violin Concerto in D-Major to be debuted by Leopold Auer, his colleague and favorite violinist at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Auer, however, felt the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto had many parts better suited to the piano and not the violin. Auer was the protégé of the great violinist Joachim, who advised Brahms on his violin concertos, and he felt Tchaikovsky should heed his advice. When Tchaikovsky rejected Auer's edits, Auer refused to play it, forcing the cancellation of the Violin Concerto's debut.

Critics initially panned the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Some went so far as to suggest that it never be played again! In 1911, Auer debuted his edited version with Jascha Heifetz, his 10-year old star protégé. The result was widespread acclaim. The Auer-edited Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto became part of standard repertoire. In time, Tchaikovsky's original Violin Concerto became more accepted and today Ann is one of the few violinists who plays the Auer-edited version.

Auer founded the "Old Russian School" of violin play out of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and taught Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein, two of the 20th century's greatest violinists. Following the Russian Revolution, Auer and his students fled to the West, meaning the demise of the St. Petersburg Conservatory as the great incubator of "Old Russian School" violin talent. For more on the "Old Russian School", see http://www.annfontanella.com/old-russian.html


Erick Friedman's 1990 interview in The Strad Magazine describing his career: http://www.josephcurtinstudios.com/news/strad/jan90/friedman1.htm and how he was set up by the KGB at the Tchaikovsky Violin Competition.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tchaikovsky
• Violin
• Concerto
• heifetz

[TinaP7840]

I keep wondering if it's a typo that you said you played this when you were six- do you mean sixteen? I find it hard to believe that any six year old could play this... ten maybe, but six??

[Annfontanella]

@TinaP7840 , No, I did play it when I was six. How well was it played is another issue - I could hack my way through OK :).

[albert314159265]

Ann you play so awesomely, and you have to know by now, you are as beautiful a person as you are to look at. (I have read some of your comments) I have always loved this piece, and to be honest the Brahms as well, although they all are gorgeous when you get right down to it. I think it is wonderful that you are cordial and friendly, with the schedule you must keep and all. Be well, I have been listening to you for a long time now. Cordially

[Annfontanella]

@albert314159265 , thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my music!! Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven - all in that top tier :). I listened to the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky alternating nights, but always one of the time, as a child. :)

[Annfontanella]

@jfkoz0822 , no offense taken. We all have different style and musical preferences and I don't have a problem with different emotional interpretations. This world would be pretty dull if we all felt and did the exact same things! :)

[JesseJhonAndrews]

@jason101other I humbly disagree with the connotations you are making in reference to “…you have to start very young in order to become really skilled and get the neural pathways necessary to have the finger agility/coordination.” This can be acquired at any age. There is no age limit that interferes with neurological development. There are only diseases that interfere with this. As far as Learning and/or mastering an instrument, this comes down to desire and dedication to practice!

[TinaP7840]

@prolandscaping of course, how many of them are actually prodigies instead of just little kids who work their asses off to have the ability to play that stuff is another matter...

just saying, most of the so called "prodigies" aren't the next Heifetz or anything.

[prolandscaping]

@TinaP7840 dude with all the videos on youtube of kid prodigys 6 isnt so far fetched

[M7P81]

Muy buena version!!

[firat8596]

try that

watch?v=IZKAwPA4fVw&feature=re­lated

[loverdaguer]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful music. I love Tchaikovsky!

[Annfontanella]

@TinaP7840 , Good advice, Right on! :) The work is from the arm. I only think of my finger-tips touching the bow - the rest is my arm angle and that controls how my fingers sit...!

[TinaP7840]

@minaharu14 I'm no Anne Fontanella, but I feel like I have to say something when I hear anything implying the use of force to play violin. The problem isn't a lack of muscle in your pinky, but probably a disconnect in your arm. The arm should be working, not the fingers. If you make fingers work than you'll develop habits like what you described and create problems (tendonitis etc). If your pinky goes flat it's because something is tight, so thinking of the word loose while playing can help.

[DuduKorg]

Amazing Violin performance... but I think the pianist don't have any feeling... I can play the piano part WAY better than this... by the way, very nice performance of the concerto! = D

[TinaP7840]

@Annfontanella wow- even being capable of playing it technically at six is pretty amazing, and in any case, it sounds incredible now (as does everything else you play).