Christian Tetlaff, violin – Strasbourg Philharmonic – Concert of February 11, 2011 – Radio France Musique –
Back to France this week for a concert by the Strasbourg Philharmonic, conducted by Marc Albrecht and featuring German Violinist Christian Tetzlaff in music of Christophe Bertrand, Claude Debussy and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Starting with a world premier; Okhtor by Christophe Bertrande. Then followed with Khamma by Debussy and concluding with a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto.
Christophe Bertrand was a French pianist and composer of mainly chamber works born in 1981. After earning gold medals for piano and chamber music at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg, he performed and recorded with the Ensemble “Accroche-Note” and the Ensemble “In Extremis” of which he was a co-founder. He collaborated with composers such as Ivan Fedele and Pascal Dusapin.
He studied composition since 1996, under the supervision of Ivan Fedele at the Strasbourg Conservatoire, obtaining with distinction his diploma in 2000.
His compositions, conducted among others by Pierre Boulez, Jonathan Nott, Hannu Lintu, Marc Albrecht have been performed by several ensembles and soloists such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Arditti Quartet and the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg. Sadly, he committed suicide in September 2010.
And from Christian Tetzlaff’s bio:
Born in Hamburg in 1966 and now living in Berlin with his family, there are three things that make this musician unique, aside from his astounding skill on the violin. He interprets the musical manuscript in a literal fashion, perceives music as a language, and views great works as narratives which reflect existential experiences. As obvious as it may sound, he brings an unusual approach in his daily concert routine.
Christian Tetzlaff tries to follow the manuscript as closely as possible – without regard for “performance tradition” and without indulging in the usual technical short-cuts on the violin – often allowing a renewed clarity and richness to arise in well-known works. As a violinist Tetzlaff tries to disappear from the music – paradoxically this makes his interpretations very personal.
Secondly, Christian Tetzlaff “speaks” through his violin. Like human speech, his playing comprises a wide range of expressive means and is not aimed solely at achieving harmoniousness or virtuosic brilliance.
Above all, however, he interprets the masterpieces of musical history as stories about first-hand experiences. The great composers have focused on intense feelings, great happiness and deep crises in their music; as a musician Christian Tetzlaff also explores the limits of feelings and musical expression. Many pieces deal with none other than life and death. Christian Tetzlaff’s aim is to convey this to his audience.
Enjoy the show – France Musique does their usual exemplary job – and for a concert at 9 in the morning . . . .
