Wikipedia

Carl Flesch International Violin Competition

(Redirected from Carl Flesch International Competition)

The Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (also known as the International Competition for Violinists "Carl Flesch" and the City of London International Competition for Violin and Viola (Carl Flesch Medal)) was an international music competition for violinists, and later viola players, held between 1945 and 1992 in London.[1][2][3][4] Founded in honour of the Hungarian violinist Carl Flesch, it was originally organised by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and after 1968 formed part of the City of London Festival. Particularly in the City of London Festival era, it was regarded as among the "most prestigious" competitions for string players,[3] and "one of the most important testing grounds for aspiring soloists up to the age of 32."[4]

History

edit

The competition was founded in 1945 in honour of the Hungarian violinist Carl Flesch (1873–1944), who was particularly noted as a violin teacher.[1][2] It was founded in the form of the "Flesch Medal" by Max Rostal and Edric Cundell of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama;[4] Rostal had been a pupil of Flesch.[5] Flesch's son, Carl F. Flesch, was also instrumental in the competition's foundation,[2] and commissioned a commemorative medal portraying his father from Benno Elkan to be presented to the winners.[6][7] The early competitions were organised by the Guildhall School.[4][8] Initially they were held annually in October, around the date of Flesch's birthday. From the start they were open to international entrants, with an age cut-off of thirty years. In addition to the medal, the original prize included a concert as a soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.[8] The first competition was won by the British violinist Raymond Cohen;[4] his win was said to have "launched him on to the world stage".[9]

At that date there were relatively few international music competitions; a slightly earlier violin competition is the French Marguerite Long–Jacques Thibaud Competition, which was founded in 1943 but did not attract international competitors until 1946. After the Second World War, the number of competitions increased rapidly.[10] In 1949, the Carl Flesch competition was described by The Musical Times as "the premier international award for violinists under thirty years of age".[11] By 1956, three British orchestras offered solo concerts to the winners: the London Philharmonic, Liverpool Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Orchestra.[12] By the 1960s the final was held at the Wigmore Hall in November.[13]

In 1968, the Carl Flesch competition was one of three international music competitions hosted in England, with a global total of sixteen competitions judging solely instrumentalists.[14] Egon Kraus, in a 1968 review of international music competitions, commented that English violinists had been awarded eight of twelve prizes in the competition in 1956–66, including four overall winners, while considering all competitions Russian violinists performed much better. He noted that a similar skew towards the home nationality was apparent in the results of some other competitions.[14]

In 1968, the competition joined the City of London Festival, an arts festival held in July, and the frequency changed to every two years.[4] By then, the age limit had been raised to thirty-two years. In addition to the Carl Flesch Medal, a first prize of £1000 was offered, with a second prize of £750, third prize of £500 and fourth prize of £250.[15][16] Yfrah Neaman, a pupil of both Flesch and Rostal,[5] was the director and chair from 1968; he increased the competition's standing by recruiting Yehudi Menuhin and others to serve on the jury.[3] It became a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in 1969.[17] In 1970 the remit broadened to include viola players,[1][4] with the first overall violist winner being Csaba Erdélyi in 1972.[18] The formal title became the City of London International Competition for Violin and Viola (Carl Flesch Medal). According to Grove's, it was then "one of the most important testing grounds for aspiring soloists up to the age of 32."[4] The music journalist Norman Lebrecht described it in 2002 as "one of the toughest violin contests".[19]

From the 1970s specially composed test pieces were employed, which derived from a composers' competition organised by the Society for the Promotion of New Music; these include Michael Blake Watkins' The Wings of Night, Edward McGuire's Rant, Helen Roe's Notes towards a Definition and Michael Finnissy's Enek.[20][21][22][23] An audience award began in 1972,[18] and the total prize money increased during the 1970s and 1980s; in 1976, the first prize was worth £1250, with a second prize of £1000, third prize of £750, and three further prizes totalling £800.[24] In 1988 and 1990, the winner received £5000 and the other awards (in 1990) came to £10,000. A gold-mounted bow was also awarded to the winner.[25][26][27] In the 1980s and 1990s the finals were held in the Barbican Hall, with six finalists each performing a classical and a romantic or 20th-century concerto over several days in some years.[26][27][28]

In 1992, the City of London ceased to fund the competition.[2] Flesch tried unsuccessfully for many years to gather financial support to resurrect it,[2] but the final competition was held that year.[3][4] The loss of the Carl Flesch competition was described in 2003 by Malcolm Layfield, director of the strings department at the Royal Northern College of Music, as "a gap in the UK's contribution".[29] It is not related to the competition in Hungary first held in 1985 under the title National Carl Flesch Violin Competition, and later as the Carl Flesh International Violin Competition.[30]

Events

edit

A partial list of individual competitions follows. For the winners, see the following section, which lists all the years in which the competition was held.

Year Dates Location Judges Competition details Awards Refs
1945 October Guildhall School Cundell, Rostal, Jean Pougnet, Albert Sammons Medal [31]
1949 7 November Guildhall School Cundell, Rostal, Nicolai Malko, David Wise Medal [11]
1950 Cundell, Rostal, Adrian Boult, Bernard Shore, Reginald S. Thatcher Medal [32]
1951 November Guildhall School Cundell, Rostal, Leonard Isaacs, Frederick Riddle, Hugo Rignold One runner up Medal [33][34]
1953 10 November Guildhall School Cundell, Rostal, Frederick Grinke, Maurice Johnstone, Joseph Shadwick Medal [35]
1954 2 November Guildhall School Cundell, Rostal, Paul Beard, Bernard Shore, Scott Goddard Two runners up Medal [36]
1955 8 November Guildhall School Cundell, Rostal, Arthur Benjamin, David Martin, Joseph Shadwick One runner up Medal [37]
1956 12–13 November Guildhall School Cundell, Antonio Brosa, Frederick Grinke, Seymour Whinyates, David Wise One runner up Medal [12]
1957 11–12 November Guildhall School Around 18 competitors Medal [38]
1960 November Repertoire Bach solo sonata and "standard violin concerto" [39]
1964 5 November Final at Wigmore Hall [13]
1965 15 November Final at Wigmore Hall [40]
1966 16 November Wigmore Hall Rostal, Adrian Boult, Manoug Parikian, Allen Percival, Ruth Railton [41]
1968 8–12 July Medal, £1000 1st prize, three further prizes [15][16]
1972 9–14 July Final in the Guildhall Chaired by Yehudi Menuhin; included Luigi Dallapiccola Finalists played with the BBC Training Orchestra conducted by Meredith Davies. Medal, £1000 1st prize, Corporation of London (2nd) prize, four further prizes [18][42][43]
1974 25 June – 1 July 35 competitors from 19 countries Medal, $2,300 1st prize; prizes for 2nd, 3rd and 4th places; Bach prize [44][45][46]
1976 9–15 July Age limit 30 years Medal, £1250 1st prize, £1000 2nd prize, £750 3rd prize; prizes for 4th, 5th, 6th places (£4300 total prize money) [47][48]
1978 20–27 July Age limit 30 years Medal, £6250 in prizes [49]
1980 10–17 July Age limit 30 years Medal, £3500 1st prize [50]
1982 7–15 July Finals in the Barbican Hall Age limit 27 or 28 years. Six finalists played a Beethoven or Brahms sonata, and one of the Beethoven, Brahms, Elgar or Mendelssohn concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Charles Groves. Medal, £4500 1st prize; other prizes including one for non-finalist [51][52][53]
1984 18–26 July Age limit 30 years Medal; £15,300 in prizes [54]
1986 Finals 15–17 July Finals in the Barbican Hall Six finalists played a Mozart concerto with the London Mozart Players conducted by Jane Glover, and one of the Beethoven, Berg, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by James Loughran. [28]
1988 Finals 17–19 October Finals in the Guildhall Old Library and Barbican Hall Six finalists played a Mozart concerto with the City of London Sinfonia conducted by Richard Hickox, and one of the Bartók No. 2, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Sibelius and Tchaikovsky concertos with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Louis Frémaux. Medal, gold-mounted bow, £5000 1st prize [26]
1990 11–19 July Early rounds in the Barber-Surgeon's Hall; finals in the Guildhall Old Library and Barbican Hall Ida Haendel, Zakhar Bron, Herman Krebbers, Ricardo Odnoposoff, Cicash Tanaka, Berl Senofsky, Devy Erlih, Rodney Friend, Emanuel Hurwitz Six finalists played a Mozart concerto with the City of London Sinfonia conducted by Richard Hickox, and one of the Bartók No. 2, Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Walton concertos with The Philharmonia conducted by Bryden Thomson. Medal, gold-mounted bow, £5000 1st prize [25][27]
1992 Finals 15–16 July Finals in the Barbican Hall [55]

Winners

edit
 
Carl Flesch Medal from 1968

A partial list of award winners in the competition; the instrument is violin unless otherwise stated:

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "Károly Flesch", Encyclopaedia Britannica, 19 August 2008
  2. ^ a b c d e Martin Anderson (23 October 2011), "Carl F. Flesch: Writer and son of the violinist", The Independent, retrieved 20 January 2021
  3. ^ a b c d e f Anne Inglis (8 January 2003), "Yfrah Neaman", The Guardian, retrieved 20 January 2021
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Boris Schwarz; Margaret Campbell (2001), "Flesch, Carl", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.09814
  5. ^ a b Noël Goodwin (2001), "Rostal, Max", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.23914
  6. ^ Carl F. Flesch, pp. 113, 114
  7. ^ Carl Flesch, p. 339
  8. ^ a b "Miscellaneous", The Musical Times, 86 (1230): 255, 1945, JSTOR 934417
  9. ^ Anne Inglis (22 March 2011), "Raymond Cohen obituary", The Guardian, retrieved 21 January 2021
  10. ^ McCormick, p. 47
  11. ^ a b c "Miscellaneous: Carl Flesch Medal Award", The Musical Times, 90: 452, 1949, JSTOR 935278
  12. ^ a b c John Lade (January 1957), "Pen Portrait: George Thalben-Ball", The Musical Times, 98 (1367): 16, JSTOR 938360
  13. ^ a b Peter Brown (1964), "London Diary for November", The Musical Times, 105 (1460): 788–792, JSTOR 949494
  14. ^ a b Egon Kraus (1968), "The Value of International Competitions", The World of Music, 10: 26–40, JSTOR 24318417
  15. ^ a b "Competitions and Awards", The Musical Times, 109: 226, 1968, doi:10.2307/953481, JSTOR 953481
  16. ^ a b "Competitions", The World of Music, 10 (2): 72, 1968, JSTOR 24318425
  17. ^ McCormick, p. 252
  18. ^ a b c d e "Carl Flesch prizewinners", The Musical Times, 113: 887, 1972, doi:10.2307/957399, JSTOR 957399
  19. ^ McCormick, p. 96
  20. ^ Richard McGregor (1979), "Edward McGuire", The Musical Times, 120 (1636): 479–481, doi:10.2307/961099, JSTOR 961099
  21. ^ "Appointments, Awards", The Musical Times, 117: 132, 1976, doi:10.2307/960224, JSTOR 960224
  22. ^ "Appointments, Awards", The Musical Times, 123: 46, 1982, doi:10.2307/963629, JSTOR 963629
  23. ^ Malcolm Miller (1992), "Old and New", The Musical Times, 133 (1789): 126, doi:10.2307/966427, JSTOR 966427
  24. ^ "Competitions", The World of Music, 17 (4): 8–9, 1975, JSTOR 43620738
  25. ^ a b "Appointments, Awards, Competitions, Conferences and Obituaries", The Musical Times, 131: 362, 1990, doi:10.2307/965748, JSTOR 965748
  26. ^ a b c "British Gas treasures the talents of young violinists", The Musical Times, 129: 530, 1988, JSTOR 966678
  27. ^ a b c "The City of London Carl Flesch International Violin Competition.", The Musical Times, 131: 386, 1990, JSTOR 965743
  28. ^ a b "London Diary for July", The Musical Times, 127 (1719): 363, 1986, JSTOR 965097
  29. ^ UK gets new international violin competition, Boosey & Hawkes, November 2003, retrieved 20 January 2021
  30. ^ Carl Flesch International Violin Competition, Flesch Károly Nemzetközi Hegedűverseny, retrieved 23 January 2021
  31. ^ a b A. Hyatt King (1945), "Haydn's Trio for Horn, Violin and Cello", The Musical Times, 86 (1234): 367, JSTOR 934002
  32. ^ a b M. M. S. (December 1950), "St. Cecilia's Festival", The Musical Times, 91 (1294): 483, doi:10.2307/934576, JSTOR 934576
  33. ^ a b "Miscellaneous: The Carl Flesch Medal", The Musical Times, 92: 567, 1951, JSTOR 934103
  34. ^ Arthur Jacobs (August 1951), "New York's Orchestra", The Musical Times, 92 (1302): 363, JSTOR 936349
  35. ^ a b "The Carl Flesch Medal", The Musical Times, 95: 18, 1954, JSTOR 936168
  36. ^ a b c Anthony Milner (January 1955), "An Introductory Note to Tippett's 'Midsummer Marriage'", The Musical Times, 96 (1343): 19, 20, doi:10.2307/933578, JSTOR 933578
  37. ^ a b "Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians: Corrections", The Musical Times, 96 (1354): 651, December 1955, JSTOR 937821
  38. ^ "Carl Flesch Medal", The Musical Times, 98: 629, 1957, doi:10.2307/936700, JSTOR 936700
  39. ^ "Miscellany", The Musical Times, 101 (1410): 508, 1960, JSTOR 950532
  40. ^ Peter Brown (1965), "London Diary for November", The Musical Times, 106 (1472): 820, JSTOR 953671
  41. ^ "Corporation of London: Guildhall School of Music and Drama: Carl Flesch International Violin Competition", The Musical Times, 107: 930, 1966, JSTOR 953984
  42. ^ "Competitions", The World of Music, 13 (4): 78, 1971, JSTOR 43616542
  43. ^ Rudy Shackelford; Luigi Dallapiccola (1981), "A Dallapiccola Chronology", The Musical Quarterly, 67 (3): 434, JSTOR 742105
  44. ^ "awards & competitions: London competition.", Music Educators Journal, 60: 15, 1974, doi:10.2307/3394579, JSTOR 3394579, S2CID 221041765
  45. ^ a b "First Performances", The World of Music, 16: 60, 1974, JSTOR 44651118
  46. ^ "Soirée, 30th April", Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, 123: 171, 1975
  47. ^ "Competitions, Courses", The Musical Times, 117: 50, 1976, doi:10.2307/958954, JSTOR 958954
  48. ^ "Competitions", The World of Music, 17 (4): 8–9, 1975, JSTOR 43620738
  49. ^ "Competitions, Courses", The Musical Times, 118: 943, 1977, JSTOR 960020
  50. ^ "Competitions, Courses", The Musical Times, 120: 762, 1979, JSTOR 962369
  51. ^ "Competitions", The World of Music, 23 (3): 100, 1981, JSTOR 43562647
  52. ^ "Competitions, Courses", The Musical Times, 123: 30, 1982, doi:10.2307/963600, JSTOR 963600
  53. ^ "Barbican Centre: July events", The Musical Times, 123: 455, 1982, JSTOR 963237
  54. ^ "Competitions, Courses", The Musical Times, 124: 503, 1983, JSTOR 963175
  55. ^ Shirley Ratcliffe (1992), "Listings Journal July 1992", The Musical Times, 133 (1792): i–viii, JSTOR 966071
  56. ^ S. M. Nelson; Margaret Campbell (2001), "Gruenberg, Erich", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.11862
  57. ^ "Gabriella Lengyel", The Etude, vol. 67, p. 61, February 1949
  58. ^ Margaret Campbell (2011), The Great Violinists, Faber & Faber, p. 177, ISBN 978-0-571-27745-2
  59. ^ Margaret Campbell (1 January 2004), "Hugh Bean", The Guardian, retrieved 21 January 2021
  60. ^ "Music in the Provinces", The Musical Times, 93 (1318): 562, December 1952, JSTOR 934824
  61. ^ R. Dale Mcintosh; Betty Nygaard King (26 September 2017) [7 February 2006], "Betty-Jean Hagen", The Canadian Encyclopedia, retrieved 23 January 2021
  62. ^ "Jack Rothstein", Musician's Gallery, archived from the original on 27 September 2019
  63. ^ Péter P. Várnai (2001), "Kovács, Dénes", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.15436
  64. ^ H. R. (1958), "Guildhall School of Music and Drama", The Musical Times, 99: 93, doi:10.2307/937600, JSTOR 937600
  65. ^ About this Recording: 8.223538 - HILL: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 10, Naxos, retrieved 22 January 2021
  66. ^ "Miscellany: The Carl Flesch Medal 1959", The Musical Times, 101: 39, 1960, JSTOR 948208
  67. ^ a b c d G. Jean Smith (1980), "Performance Opportunities: Solo Competitions and Awards", American String Teacher, 30 (2): 62–75, doi:10.1177/000313138003000223, S2CID 189220770
  68. ^ David Milsom (1 February 2009), "Paganini: Violin Concertos nos.1 & 2", The Strad, retrieved 22 January 2021
  69. ^ Ana Chumachenco, Sion Festival, 8 January 2019, retrieved 22 January 2021
  70. ^ Eva Zurbrügg: Switzerland, Sion Festival, 17 January 2019, retrieved 21 January 2021
  71. ^ "Competitions, Scholarships, Awards", The Musical Times, 108: 64, 1967, JSTOR 954504
  72. ^ Joshua Epstein, Queen Elisabeth Competition, retrieved 21 January 2021
  73. ^ Milena Bozhikova (13 January 2015), "Milanova, Stoyka", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.2274152
  74. ^ "Competitions: Prize Winners and Awards", The World of Music, 12: 71, 1970, JSTOR 24318361
  75. ^ Csaba Erdélyi, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, retrieved 21 January 2021
  76. ^ Semi-final 1976: Gonçal Comellas Fabregas, Queen Elisabeth Competition, retrieved 21 January 2021
  77. ^ a b Milena Bozhikova (13 January 2015), "Minchev, Mincho", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.2274167
  78. ^ Margaret Campbell (2001), "Kang, Dong-Suk", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.44573
  79. ^ Aryeh Oron (October 2010), "Elizabeth Wallfisch (Violin, Conductor)", Bach Cantatas Website, retrieved 21 January 2021
  80. ^ "Appointments, Awards", The Musical Times, 117: 748, 1976, doi:10.2307/957762, JSTOR 957762
  81. ^ Margaret Campbell; Irina Boga (28 May 2015) [2001], "Sârbu, Eugene", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.52218
  82. ^ Final 1980: Takashi Shimizu, Queen Elisabeth Competition, retrieved 21 January 2021
  83. ^ Barbara Górzyńska, Fryderyk Chopin Institute, retrieved 21 January 2021
  84. ^ Allan Kozinn (25 September 1989), "Winning Violinists Named In Carnegie Hall Contest", New York Times, retrieved 21 January 2021
  85. ^ "Appointments, Awards", The Musical Times, 123: 622, 1982, doi:10.2307/963299, JSTOR 963299
  86. ^ Masayuki Kino, Japan Arts, June 2020, retrieved 21 January 2021
  87. ^ Jane Glover (1989), "Across the Cultural Divide: Mozart in China", RSA Journal, 137 (5394): 349–359, JSTOR 41374899
  88. ^ Mieko Kanno, Sound, retrieved 25 January 2021
  89. ^ "Appointments, Awards", The Musical Times, 129: 686, JSTOR 966671
  90. ^ Vesko Eschkenazy, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, retrieved 21 January 2021
  91. ^ Margaret Campbell (2001), "Vengerov, Maxim", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.42246
  92. ^ Benjamin Schmid, violin, Ondine, retrieved 21 January 2021

Sources

Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Carl_Flesch_International_Violin_Competition&oldid=1265128213"