Dr. Sanna Pederson, University of Oklahoma
August Zimmermann’s Quartet “The great prophet of Beethoven’s last quartets is definitely Zimmermann, 40 years before Joachim!”–Ivan Mahaim As mentioned in the previous post, Ivan Mahaim’s 1964 study of Beethoven: Naissance et Renaissance de Derniers Quatuors argued that the obscure violinist August Zimmermann deserved as much recognition as Joachim for his Berlin ensemble’s performances of … Read more
Researching Joachim’s concerts at the Leipzig Gewandhaus led me to the astonishing profusion of works by Louis Spohr on the concerts throughout the nineteenth century. A review from Hanslick on the occasion of a Joachim visit to Vienna in 1875 included an appreciation of the composer’s music. Hanslick had a nostalgic view of Spohr’s music … Read more
Joachim and the Gewandhaus: a sixty-year symbiosis Among the lore of this historic institution is Joachim’s debut as a twelve-year-old at the Gewandhaus in 1843. (Robert Eshbach has documented this event on his website). The Gewandhaus’s conductor Felix Mendelssohn and concertmaster Ferdinand David oversaw Joachim’s development as the child prodigy went through his teenage years. … Read more
Did Johann Kruse really stand out that much among the other violinists Joachim taught, making him the obvious choice for preferential treatment?While he was giving in concerts in London, a number of other Joachim students were also making a living in the biggest city in the world. Several were exactly his age and had been … Read more
An addendum to the subject of the last post on Joachim’s student Lili Schober Petschnikoff. Lili’s memoir tells of her whirlwind engagement to violinist Alexander Petschnikoff, who had become famous almost overnight after his debut in Berlin in October of 1895. She describes in her own unique language the first time she heard him: He … Read more
“It’s perfect now,” Kotek said. “It’s fine, it’s beautiful!” “You played it beautifully,” Peter Ilych said, with his arm around Kotek’s shoulder. “You could play it in public at a moment’s notice, my friend.”“Really, Peter Ilych? Do you really think so?” Kotek’s young sensitive face flushed almost scarlet with pride and gratitude. But presently he … Read more
Here are a few excerpts about Berlin at the beginning of the twentieth century from the book Sergei Koussevitzky and his Epoch by Arthur Lourié (1892-1966). The author of the second biography of Koussevitzky described this book in his preface: “There was available an earlier biography of Koussevitzky by his friend Arthur Lourié. The value of … Read more