Arthur Grumiaux- Mozart Violin Concerto

Ranjith Daluwatta

(4 stars; 2 reviews)

Arthur Grumiaux's  Violin Concerto No. 2 Arthur Grumiaux's Biography by  Meredith Gailey Of the Franco-Belgian school,  Arthur Grumiaux  is considered to have been one of the few truly great violin virtuosi of the twentieth century. In his relatively short life his achievements were superb. He brought to performances guaranteed technical command, faithfulness to the composer's intent, and sensitivity toward the intricate delineations of musical structure. His fame was built upon extraordinary violin concerto performances and chamber-music appearances with his own  Grumiaux Trio . Grumiaux  was born in Villers-Perwin, Belgium, in 1921, to a working-class family, and it was his grandfather who urged him to begin music studies at the age of 4. He trained on violin and piano with the  Fernand Quintet  at the Charleroi Conservatory, where he took first prize at the age of 11. The following year he advanced his studies by working with  Alfred Dubois  at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, and also worked on counterpoint and fugue with  Jean Absil . He received his first few major awards prior to reaching the age of 20; he took the  Henri Vieuxtemps  and François Prume prizes in 1939, and received the Prix de Virtuosité from the Belgian government in 1940. During this time he also studied composition privately in Paris with the famous Romanian violinist  Georges Enesco ,  Menuhin 's teacher. His debuts were made in Belgium with the  Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra playing  Mendelssohn 's concerto, and in Britain with the  BBC Symphonic Orchestra  in 1945. Due to the German invasion of his homeland, there existed a short time gap between these two important events. During that time he played privately with several small ensembles, while refraining from public performance of any kind. Regardless of this slight delay in the initiation of his international career, once started, it quickly developed. Following his British debut, he advanced into Belgium academia when he was appointed professor of violin at the Royal Conservatory, where he had once studied. There, he emphasized the importance of phrasing, the quality of sound, and the high technical standards of artistry. Grumiaux 's playing has been included on over 30 recordings, nearly all under Philips, although his name is also seen on the labels of EMI, Belart and Music & Arts. The titles on these releases tend to be the compositions of  Bach ,  Beethoven ,  Brahms ,  Mozart , and  Schubert , and on occasion include works by  Ravel  and  Debussy . One of his greatest joys in life was his partnership with the pianist  Clara Haskil . On occasion, the two would switch instruments for a different perspective and relationship.  Grumiaux  was left with a professional and personal absence when she died from a fall at a train station, en route to a concert with him. In addition to his solo work, he has recorded  Mozart  quintets with the Grumiaux Ensemble, and various selections with the  Grumiaux Trio , comprised of the Hungarian husband-wife duo  Georges Janzer  (violin) and  Eva Czako  (cello). His successful performance career led up to royal recognition, as in 1973, he was knighted baron by King Baudouin, for his services to music, thus, sharing the title with  Paganini . Despite a struggle with diabetes, he continued a rigorous schedule of recording and concert performances, primarily in Western Europe, until a sudden stroke in Brussels took his life in 1986. At the age of 65,  Grumiaux  left behind the memory of his elegant and solid musicianship.