SOUNDPOST

LETTER of the MONTH

IN HIS DEFENCE Although I have yet to read Nigel Kennedy’s autobiography Nigel Kennedy Uncensored! I would like to comment on Tully Potter’s review (July 2022), which is totally inconsistent with the Nigel I have known for more than 45 years.

Potter says: ‘Perhaps, without straying too far into amateur psychology, I can winkle out a few of the reasons why Nigel Kennedy seems desperate to be liked and acquire “street cred”.’ In all the years I have known him, I have never seen him desperate in any way to acquire ‘street cred’. I played duets with Nigel on the streets of New York City when we were students. Nigel always had a smile on his face and was so eager to please everyone. He was never desperate to be liked!

Potter then says, ‘Thousands of students have seemingly thrived at Juilliard, but for our Nigel the whole set-up was a hive of “Musical Mediocrity” and all the other students were inferior to him.’

I never knew Nigel to put himself above any other student at the school. The simple truth is that Nigel was a one-of-a-kind violinist. He could perform the Beethoven Violin Concerto and then an hour-long encore improvising on one of his jazz idol’s masterpieces. Nigel was not just a tremendously gifted concert soloist but had an ear to create his own masterpieces instantaneously.

I very much doubt that Potter’s words: ‘Much of this book… is like ten-year-old Nigel spitting in the faces of a profession and industry that have given him a very good living’ have anything to do with the Nigel that I, and the entire world of concert violinists of our generation who know Nigel so very well think of him. If I had to describe Nigel the human being, I would say, ‘I have never known a sweeter, kinder, more generous, self-effacing, gracious, and polite person in all of my life.’

PETER KAMAN

Chiang Mai, Thailand

NEW NARRATIVES It was fascinating to read Barbara Meyer’s comments on the instruments of Girolamo Amati II (‘Last but not least’, July 2022). In a way, I felt the article rewrote the accepted thinking about this much-overlooked maker. The common story we read is that Girolamo, as a contemporary of Stradivari, began his career imitating the work of his master Nicolò Amati, and gradually evolved to reflect the work of his more famous (and successful) compatriot. However, Meyer’s observations of the 1719 violin in the Royal Academy of Music’s collection – made when the luthier was 70 years old – apparently show none of Stradivari’s influence at all. I always felt Girolamo’s life made a rather simplistic narrative, and I’m very pleased to see an alternative viewpoint put forward in this article.

ELISABETH SØNDERGAARD

Copenhagen, Denmark

AMATI PHOTO IAN BREAREY/ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC

FAILING FUTURES?

I recently read July’s opinion piece about ABRSM grades (‘Playing by numbers’, July 2022). The writer proposes there should be less of a focus on them. I wholeheartedly disagree. As an amateur violinist and mother of four young string players – one of whom plays cello – Ican speak with experience that obtaining Grade 8 is crucial to a child’s learning and future opportunities. One cannot expect, at least not without some difficulty, to enter universities or conservatoires without the appropriate qualifications. Even if the student does not go into music, a high music grade can be a wonderful addition to a CV.

It shows dedication and perseverance. It is also a sign of respect to the hard-working teachers who put together the grade system, to take on their expert advice as to what it takes to create a high-level player. I have seen a trend among parents of string players to diminish the value of ABRSM grades. Even though I cannot change their minds,I can only hope they realise sooner rather than later the negative impact this will have on their child’s future.

KAREN ANNA MORDEN

Slough, UK

ON NEUTRAL GROUND Matt Wehling’s comprehensive article on F.N. Voirin (‘The Second Tourte’, July 2022) was a riveting read, but I was bemused by his use of the terms ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’. Specifically in the biographical section, he says that ‘Voirin’s personal style started to emerge [with] all the features of the new ‘feminine’ style, pretty much fully born...’ This is closely followed by the line: ‘Before Tourte came up with his model of the very masculine ‘hatchet head’ bow around the turn into the 19th century...’ Surely in this day and age, especially given the gender fluidity of the younger generations, there would be better ways to express matters of bow design without resorting to cultural stereotypes such as ‘masculine’ and feminine’?

RHYS DONOVAN

Sydney, Australia

Matt Wehling’s second article on Voirin, which explains the common distinction between these two bow making styles, will be published in the November 2022 issue

COURTESY TARISIO

ONLINE COMMENT

When news came that Canada’s McGill Conservatory was closing, musicians the world over voiced their sadness. While some were surprised, others saw it as part of a larger trend in the world of music school administration bit.ly/3A2INyK CANDY NORRIS It is a sad thing for the city to lose this important music education resource.

DAVID LAMOREAUX Without good prep for the young, how do they expect to get good older students?

DAVID ALDRIDGE Frankly it sounds like somebody in administration didn’t want to keep providing free studio space to the instructors.

CARL DICASOLI I am very surprised this would happen in the city that has the Montreal Music Competition and a world-class orchestra.

---Editorial note: In the article ‘What do we really know about Bach’s Cello Suites?’ (July 2022), an error in the Revised Stemma illustration on page 43 implied a relationship between the ‘lost’ manuscript Source [X] and Kellner’s edition B.In fact the relationship is between Source [Y] and edition B (see right).