Serendipity

Published on September 30, 2009 · Comments { 4 }

This is one of those weeks that reminds me how great it is when (occasionally) all kinds of stuff comes together perfectly. Today is a rehearsal and concert with Yo Yo Ma, who’s always incredible to work with. That’s just the beginning of an interesting week…On Friday and Saturday I’ll be playing the Brahms Double Concerto with our terrific principal Joseph Johnson and our eminent (new) Music Director Edo de Waart. Then next Monday lots of chamber music on my own series with a stellar group including legendary cellist (and now blogger) Lynn Harrell. On top of all that, I just found out something really amazing about the extraordinary violin I’m currently playing on which also relates to my upcoming week. It turns out that from about 1873 to 1897 this violin was played by a man named Engelbert Roentgen, who was the Concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig during that period. After doing the math and a bit of research, it seems that almost without a doubt Mr. Roentgen was playing this very instrument as Concertmaster when the Brahms Double was premiered in Leipzig (Brahms conducting) on January 1, 1888. Joachim would’ve been a few feet away with his 1715 Strad, along with the cellist Hausmann. An incredible legacy, and it’s humbling to be a small part of it.

About Frank Almond

Violinist Frank Almond holds the Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He returned to the MSO after holding positions as Concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Valery Gergiev, and Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic with Kurt Masur. He continues an active schedule of solo and chamber music performances in the US and abroad and has been a member of the chamber group An die Musik in New York City since 1997, and also directs the somewhat notorious Frankly Music Series based in Milwaukee. He is on the faculty at Northwestern University, and plays on a really great violin.
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4 Responses to Serendipity

  1. Charles Price September 30, 2009 at 7:52 am #

    Congratulations Frank and what a nice read. Love the history of your violin. Hope you’ll check out a blog that I co-author with Vic.

    Reply
  2. Tina September 30, 2009 at 1:32 pm #

    It must be contagious. Guess what was playing on Vermont Public Radio Classical online when I read this post.

    Reply
  3. deb September 30, 2009 at 9:50 pm #

    fabulous concert tonight! and love the background about your violin.

    Reply

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