I was excited to come across the following video on YouTube - Julius Baker, flute and David Soyer, cello performing Heitor Villa-Lobos's The Jet Whistle in a live television broadcast from the 1960s. It's a great performance by two giants - legendary flutist Baker was principal flute of the New York Philharmonic and several other major orchestras, and as a teacher for over 60 years he taught many prominent flutists. I feel fortunate to have had him as my teacher and mentor. He brought me to study with him at the Curtis Institute of Music when I was twelve, and he took me under his wing in a nurturing and grandfatherly way. Since he passed away in 2003 I am glad to find new recordings and videos of my beloved teacher. They are testaments to the magnificent artistry of Julius Baker, and I feel he lives on in his music.
What is particularly poignant for me about this video is that David Soyer, distinguished cellist of the Guarneri Quartet and important pedagogue, was the teacher of several of my dear friends and colleagues who are fellow Curtis alumni. For me and Yumi Kendall, my Dolce Suono Trio partner and Assistant Principal Cello of The Philadelphia Orchestra, it is meaningful to see our two teachers play together.
Villa-Lobos's The Jet Whistle, written in 1950, is standard repertoire today, but when this performance was broadcast it was still relatively new!
I'm impressed by the high cultural level in the early years of television.
No comments:
Post a Comment