Violin soloist

Elliott Markow

Elliott Markow will perform the Brahms Violin Concerto with the New Hampshire Philharmonic on May 3, 2008.

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The New Hampshire Philharmonic

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Mr. Markow  began his professional performing career at age eleven as soloist performing the Mozart Concerto No. 4 with the Boston Pops. Mr. Markow has studied with William Kroll, Emanual Borok, Berl Senofsky and Jascha Heifetz.

Mr. Markow is much in demand across New Hampshire. He serves as concertmaster of the New Hampshire Philharmonic, the Nashua Symphony Orchestra, the Granite State Symphony Orchestra, the Granite State Opera Orchestra, and the Great Waters Music Festival Orchestra. He serves on the faculty of the Manchester Community Music School, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and Saint Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire.

Mr. Markow has appeared extensively in solo, chamber music and orchestral performances in the New England, Florida/Gulf Coast, Southern California, and the New Orleans areas.

RECENT INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

The

Frederick Smyth

Institute

for Music

The Philharmonic Society

The

Mary Fife

Coterie

Mr. Markow spoke recently about the upcoming performance...

What is it about the Brahms?

It is a powerful work emotionally - a song for violin on a symphonic scale.

Brahms was one of the greatest song composers of the nineteenth century and he was one of the great symphonists. So this piece represents the joining of two sides of Brahms. The piece is a lyrical outpouring, filled with beautiful themes. Brahms wrote it one summer when he was staying in a beautiful region of southern Austria – the Poertschach - as he described it, a place where the melodies were so abundant that one had to be careful not to step on them.

This concerto is surely one of the two greatest (along with that of Beethoven). The second movement has one of the most gorgeous melodies that Brahms ever wrote. The first movement is lyrical, a fully developed and intricate movement. The third movement is bold and fiery, with the principal theme, a Hungarian gypsy theme. It is a magnificent work.

Is there a right age to take on this piece?

I’ve heard the piece from a very early age, and I’ve had it in my fingers since my teens. (Mr. Markow is currently forty-nine.) Of course, one can never completely learn a piece of this stature. Every time you revisit it there’s something new to learn. The more you see and experience of life, and the better you get to know a piece, the more the piece becomes a part of you. This is not true of all works. This particular concerto of Brahms has real substance. It is performed regularly for a reason.

There’s this Catch 22 – if something has a level of difficulty in musical expression, should it be avoided until your late forties? That’s like telling someone not to speak English until they have the language completely mastered. It’s good to get to know the piece early, so that when you’re at an age to present it you’re ready to do so, instead of having to approach it for a first time.

You studied with the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz. What was that like?

I was selected as part of an international competition to study with Jascha Heifetz for two years. The master class would visit him once a week at his home in Beverly Hills. He was a very private man outside the concert hall. He was kind and generous to people who respected his privacy, but he could be abrupt with people who he felt were intrusive. Mr. Heifetz would hear what you would play, and either sanction what you did or offer constructive and helpful suggestions.

What is it like working with Anthony Princiotti?

Tony is intuitive and spontaneous in his ability to sense and react to the musical ideas of a soloist. He is extremely musical, quick-minded and sharp. Working with Tony is analogous to working with members of a small chamber group. He can sense immediately where the phrase is going. There is a tacit give and take.

How important is it to have the right violin?

A craftsman in any field must have fine tools to provide and create a high quality product. If you don’t have those tools, you can’t create something commensurate with your knowledge and ability.

I understand that your violin is a significant find. Can you tell me about it?

My violin was made in 1707 by Giovanni Battista Rogeri of Brescia. Rogeri studied with Amati and Stradivarius, so it has considerable lineage. The instrument provides me with a whole new level of opportunity for artistic expression and pleasure. It is a powerful instrument, with a wide range of dynamics and colors.

It is not necessarily an easy instrument to play. I have to dig into it to make it do the things I want. But once one makes the effort, it has a magnificent sound.

How did the instrument end up in your hands?

These days there’s almost no way that a performer can acquire a significant instrument without substantial support from a corporation, foundation or private benefactor. I spent a year closely examining instruments in New York, Philadelphia and Boston. This instrument was purchased from Reuning of Boston.

Ultimately, music is the language of the emotions. The choice of instrument is so crucial because the instrument is the vehicle that we use to tell our stories.

You wear many hats – soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician. What do you prefer?

I enjoy the variety of performance media and roles. Anything you do fully, the mind can transfer those skills and experiences to other roles. In a way the concertmaster position is a soloist position. Just as with the section leaders in the winds and brass, you have to be prepared as if you are a soloist. With that said, performing any concerto with an orchestra is one of the greatest experiences possible for any soloist.

When did you decide to go into music?

(Elliott Markow began playing violin when he was four. Mr. Markow’s three siblings were musicians.)

There was never any question – it was music right from the start. For a time I considered being an airline pilot or a doctor. And actually I flew as an airline pilot for five years. They say you’re not a real airline pilot unless you’ve been laid off at least twice. I’m a real pilot.

Walk us through the day of the performance.

The morning of…

I try to keep the day as routine as possible. All the real preparation is done well in advance. I’ll putter around the house, put in a couple hours or practice, just to stay loose. It’s important to visualize the performance in your practice preparation.

An hour before…

At this point I like to be alone. I’m holding the violin, perhaps some easy light practice, visualizing walking out on stage and beginning the piece. You’re in a highly focused state when performing before an audience. Visualizing the beginning is key because that’s where and when we go from one state of consciousness to another.

There’s a nervous energy that can be used - for me it’s not about worrying about any mistakes, it’s nervous excitement about wanting to do the best that one can.

15 minutes before…

I’m alone or with my wife Debbie. She’s really the only person I can be truly relaxed with at this point.

As you walk on the stage…

I’m thinking - I’m going to show the audience how I want this piece to be played. If you’re not convinced about it why would anyone else be?

While playing…

When playing you get into a level of consciousness and concentration. The piece is going through my mind. I hear it as I play. I play what I hear. Both, really.

As you walk off…

It’s probably human nature to think I wish I could have done this or that passage better. What I’m really thinking though is, was I convincing?

- interview with Paul Hoffman, March 2008, for the New Hampshire Philharmonic