Violinist Christian Tetzlaff Photo: Phoebe Tuxford/NZSO
Violinist Christian Tetzlaff is pretty blunt when it comes to music making: if there's no joy, don't bother.
The German virtuoso is touring New Zealand for the first time, performing Elgar's epic violin concerto with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New.
"Things go really deeply wrong about studying the violin in many places for many, many players. If it's not out of joy for music, I don't see a point in becoming a violinist.”
Tetzlaff told RNZ Concert host Clarissa Dunn that his love for the violin came out of the many years he spent in youth orchestras, playing the symphonies of Tchaikovsky, Mahler and Brahms.
"It puts fire into your heart ... and then you want to find the means on the violin how to express all of this, even when you play a Beethoven sonata.”
And Tetzlaff has established a reputation as a great exponent of chamber music as well as the concerto, especially through his partnership with friend and pianist the late Lars Vogt, who died of cancer two years ago.
Tetzlaff says an over-emphasis on technique can get in the way of a musician's ability to express themselves. Technique should always be the servant of artistic expression, not the other way around.
"Once you have learned ... and do everything perfectly, it might be too late to express something.”
He also worries about players trying too hard to achieve a beautiful sound. Sometimes the music demands a bit of mongrel from the player.
"It's not classical music to relax. It's classical music change your life!"
Tetzlaff is appearing with the NZSO in an almost all-English programme: his performance of Elgar's Violin Concerto is followed by Holst's The Planets.
The Elgar will give Tetzlaff plenty of scope to get his ideas across. It's more extensive that the English composer's Cello Concerto, but packs just as much in the way of sentiment.
"It's an extremely personal piece. It has a wide range of emotions. It has a violin part to die for... this piece - it makes my body happy."
Tetzlaff joins the NZSO with Gemma New at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre on Friday 22 November, and at the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday 23 November.
