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Ida Haendel
Homage Page
by Jos?S?chez-Penzo
Ida Haendel Grande Dame of the Violin |
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"She plays with such simplicity, directness and emotional force that it tears your heart out...." "Haendel still plays with undimmed (and currently unrivalled) assurance and authority... fresh, youthful inspiration still animates everything she does." The Boston Globe |
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Photo: Georg Bongartz |
Chronology: |
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1928, Dec. 15: |
Ida Haendel is born in Chelm, Poland1 |
Aged 3 1/2 she takes the violin of her older sister and plays a song her mother was singing |
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Aged 5 she wins the Hubermann Competition |
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1935: |
Aged 7 she becomes one of the finalists of the Wieniawski Competition winning the 7th Prize (1st Prize: Ginnette Neveu, 16; 2nd Prize: David Oistrakh, 27) |
1937: |
London debut in the Qeen's Hall with Sir Henry Wood conducting |
1946: |
USA debut |
1948/49: |
With Rafael Kubelik conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra she records the Beethoven and the Bruch concertos for violin. |
1952: |
She moves to Montreal |
1957: |
She premieres Luigi Dallapiccola's Tartiniana Seconda |
1970: |
Publication of her autobiography Woman with Violin |
1979: |
She moves to Miami, USA, and settles there |
1982: |
She is the recipient of the Sibelius Prize for her distinguished performances of the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Sibelius, at one time, praised her performance of his concerto after listening to a radio broadcast of the work. |
1989: |
First performance in Germany of Allan Petterson's concerto for violin |
1991: |
She is given by the English Queen the title of a Commander of the British Empire |
1993: |
Appearance with the Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra in Berlin |
2000: |
She is given by Prince Charles an honorary doctorate of the Royal College |
Notes: |
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Musicians she performed with: |
This list is, of course, far to be complete. |
Violin Education: |
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Instruments: |
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Awards: |
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Publications: |
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This is the story of a child prodigy turning into a mature artist against all odds. In her autobiography Ida Haendel writes of the problems of being a child prodigy with gifts which set her apart from other children. She knew that she did not want to play with dolls or play with other children. She understood quite early that a talent such as hers was to isolate her and it was something one learned to come to terms with. Much of Ida Haendel's childhood was spent travelling in Western Europe and she gives us a picture of those lean times living and cooking in bed sitters in Paris and other towns trying to earn money and making ends meet. She also studied with Carl Flesch and Georges Enescu, two legendary pedagogues during these years, which was to mould her musical future. She includes comments on her fellow students in these violin classes that are of great interest. She explains that these were indeed difficult years overshadowed by the threat of Adolf Hitler. The family realising the terrifying times that lay ahead left Poland and moved to London. England provided the opportunity to play at the Promenade Concerts in 1937 where she was to become a regular artist. One memorable occasion being when she played at the Dvorak Centenary Promenade Concert. During the war years she played regular concerts at the National Gallery bringing her into contact with great musical names, like Myra Hess. She also toured the British Isles playing concerts for the troops under appalling conditions, often without an orchestra or even a piano and on these occasions she would play solo Bach, which was always very much appreciated by the troops. The book stops in 1970 the year it was published, but the story goes on. That was over thirty years ago and now Ida Haendel's place in the history of the violin has been assured. She has given many memorable performances, both in the concert hall and in the recording studio. Her performances in the recording studio, are a legacy that is available for generations of violinists to come. Thus it enables them to hear the standard of playing to which Ida Heandel brought to the violin. Those who have heard her consistantly brilliant performances over the years of the Beethoven and Brahms Violin Concertos will long remember them. These performances will forever be a landmark by which we judge other performances of these two great violin concertos. Cheniston K Roland (Violin Historian) Liverpool (c)2001 |
Ida Haendel plays Bach: |
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Photo: Georg Bongartz |
Ida Haendel by Cheniston K Roland (Violin Historian) |
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There was a time when you could not look at the syllabus for the major concert halls without finding the name of the distinguished violinist Ida Haendel. Ida Haendel was a particular favorite of the English audiences and was always to be heard performing somewhere, either in an English concert hall or on the radio. She lived here for many years before moving to live in the Mount Royal district of Montreal. As a young violin student she was my idle and the most consistent of performers - in every performance I heard, she was impeccable both in interpretation and technique. She was for me the greatest woman violinist I ever heard, with the possible exception for a brief time of the-up-and coming Ginette Neveu. But never the less Ida Haendel was to hold the position, Queen of the Violin, for many years. If you live in England, then this coming week you are in for a feast of Ida Haendel live recordings. The BBC Third Programme, are broadcasting a one and a half hour programme each morning devoted to interviews with Ida Haendel and playing her recordings, all which are "Live Performances" from the BBC's own archives, from Monday 17 to Friday 21 Sep , 2001. In fifty years I cannot remember such an honor given to any violinist. This will be a total of seven and a half hours devoted to this aristocrat of violinists. |
Her gramophone recordings are of the highest quality and stand up well against today's violinists. Most notable of Ida Haendel's recordings - and those which I recommend you do everything possible to locate and hear are:- her recording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto op 61 in D major, Philarmonia Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelik. and her Brahms Violin Concerto op 77 in D major, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sergio Celibidache. If you can find it you must not miss hearing her recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto op 35 in D major, National Symphony Orchestra conducted Basil Cameron, on this recording her playing is to say the least outstanding by any standards. I hope that those of you who are not too familiar with Ida Haendel will be able to appreciate what a marvelous legacy she has given to us so far. If you have any comments to make after hearing these broadcasts please feel free to contact Cheniston K Roland and write your reactions to this prestigious event by the BBC. "Long Live the Queen." Our thanks to the BBC for presenting these programmes and letting look into their archives. Copyright ⓒ 2001 |
Broadcasted Works: Compiled by Cheniston K Roland (Violin Historian) |
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MONDAY |
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TUESDAY |
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WEDNESDAY |
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THURSDAY |
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FRIDAY |
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Ida Haendel Recordings: Compiled by Cheniston K Roland (Violin Historian) |
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ACHRON |
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ALBENIZ |
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BACH |
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BARTOK |
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BAZZINI |
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BEETHOVEN |
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BLOCH |
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BRAHMS |
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BRITTEN |
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BRUCH |
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COPLAND |
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CORELLI |
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DINICU |
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DVORAK |
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ELGAR |
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FALLA |
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GLAZOUNOV |
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GRIEG |
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HAENDEL |
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IBERT |
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KREISLER |
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KROLL |
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LALO |
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LECLAIR |
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MASSENET |
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MENDELSSOHN |
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PAGANINI |
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RAVEL |
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SAINT-SAENS |
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SARASATE |
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SCHUBERT |
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SIBELIUS |
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STRAVINSKY |
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SZYMANOWSKI |
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TARTINI |
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TCHAIKOVSKY |
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WIENIAWSKI |
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Sources: |
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Acknowledgments: |
For their advice, informations and help my thanks go to
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