(Chapter 2)
Yehudi Menuhin and I perform together in Carnegie Hall
A Banner Year and an Unforgettable Experience
1983 was to be a great year for me. Over the past few seasons I had received critical acclaim, including a terrific review from The New York Times written by Joseph Horowitz on December 16, 1980. In 1977 Rudolf Serkin and I recorded The Max Reger Sonata at the Marlboro Music Festival, and I was featured on several “Music From Marlboro” tours in major cities throughout the East Coast including NYC. In addition, being a principal player with an up-and-coming group, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, all had a very positive effect on the top musicians and their managers making decisions regarding who to hire for the biggest chamber music concerts in New York for the coming season. As a result, I got a call asking me to perform in a special Carnegie Hall concert with Yehudi Menuhin – recognized as one of the greatest violinists of the twentieth century – commemorating the tenth anniversary of the passing of another great violinist and legend, Joseph Szigeti. Isaac Stern, as spokesman and the Guarneri Quartet also performed on the program.
One Rehearsal
On February 19, 1983 Yehudi Menuhin and I performed Bela Bartok’s Contrasts with pianist Gyorgy Sandor. Both Menuhin and Sandor were friends and colleagues of Bela Bartok and premiered several of his pieces back in the 1940’s. In fact, Bartok wrote and dedicated important works for both Menuhin and Sandor. I was more self-conscious playing for these two champions of Bartok’s music in the one rehearsal we had together than I was at the performance the following night.
Yehudi Menuhin and My Mother
When I called my mother weeks before and told her I was to perform with Yehudi Menuhin in Carnegie Hall, right away she became very excited. She had to be there. Her sudden enthusiasm was very uncharacteristic for her at that point in her life as she had been living as a hermit and was deeply depressed, but now, suddenly, my mother had come back to life. She bought a plane ticket and flew across the country, from LA to NYC. I told Menuhin that my mother idolized him – she was an aspiring violinist at one time and went to the Mannes School of Music in NYC. When I told Menuhin she was coming to the concert he told me to be sure and introduce her to him after our performance.
Our Performance
I was so proud to walk out onto one of the most historic stages in the world with Yehudi Menuhin and Gyorgy Sandor. The walk to center stage at Carnegie Hall is very long and felt quite different from other times I had performed there with Orpheus or with other larger orchestras. Instead of looking at the conductor or my twenty or so colleagues to begin the concert, there, standing just a few feet away was a smiling Yehudi Menuhin looking right at me. It was all I could do to notice that he was bowing to the audience, packed to the rafters, and so I bowed too.
Honored by an All-Time Great
Right after our performance, Yehudi Menuhin grabbed my hand and it felt like he was about to pull it off my arm. He told me how “wonderfully musical” and “inspired” my playing was, how much fun he had playing with me and how he hoped we could play together again in the near future. It was quite a thrill!
A Highlight for My Mother
I brought my mother back stage and holding her hand walked her up to the front of the long line of people waiting to talk with Menuhin. As politely as I could, I waited for a break in the conversation and Menuhin smiled at me as I introduced him to my mom. Many admirers were vying for his attention but he only had eyes for my mother. He actually took her into a quiet room and I noticed that they sat down together. When they came out of the room some minutes later my mother was absolutely beaming. She told me later that hearing Yehudi Menuhin and me play together and speaking with him in Carnegie Hall that evening was one of the highlights of her life.
*From my memoir From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall
Footnote
A few months after my concert in Carnegie Hall with Yehudi Menuhin I moved to Seattle with my wife, daughter and step daughter and began my short-lived career selling welding rod products.
Thank you for reading this latest chapter in my ongoing blog. If you haven’t already, feel free to sign up at the bottom of this page to be kept informed whenever a new chapter is released, and to stay on top of any and all performances coming up for me.
One exciting new event coming up this season is that I will be performing the Aaron Copland Clarinet Concerto with conductor Michael Stanley and the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra.
Date(s) to be announced.
See you online! David
David Singer, Grammy Award-Winning Professional Musician for 55 years
Author of “From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall“
www.singerclarinet.com
Blog updated frequently
Click here to see Taxiing Toward Success – Chapter 1
Pingback: David Singer clarinet journey | Taxiing Toward Success - David Singer
Pingback: David Singer's classical music mentorship | Taxiing toward success
Pingback: Yehudi Menuhin, Part 2 - David Singer