Renowned violinist first played boxes

Press, 27 July 1984, Page 5

Renowned violinist first played boxes

An internationally renowned violinist from Germany, Miss Jenny Abel, was presented with her first violin when aged two. It was a makeshift affair, built from old cigar boxes by her father. Miss Abel now travels the world playing an eighteenth century San Rafel violin made in Cremona, Italy, by Joseph Guamerius. She has been brought to New Zealand by the Goethe Institute for a week-long tour. Unlike many people, Miss Abel does not consider herself a “violin freak.” An instrument is, she feels, merely the means to make music. “It is the means of expressing art — for me, it s not more,” she said, simply.

A violinist needed to be a

“very special artistic person” as he or she had to interpret and perform music. “The musician recreates the works of composers. It is not just playing the notes, and playing them correctly, it is expressing the music in a way one can imagine the composer wanted it to be played,” she said. A child prodigy, Miss Abel made her public debut at the age of eight. At 14, she became a pupil of Max Rostal in Cologne, and later studied with Henryk Szeryng. Although she claims to have many favourite pieces from all periods, Miss Abel is especially acclaimed for her interpretation of Bartok’s sonata for unaccompanied violin (posthumous). Her version of this work has become legend.

Much of Miss Abel’s year is now spent travelling. This year she has been to Rumania, Greece, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. From New Zealand she will travel to Australia, then to Poland and China. When not on tour she lives with her parents in Gernsbach, a small town in the Black Forest. Miss Abel gave a recital last evening at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. It was one of three concerts, and two master classes that she will give in her week here. While in Wellington earlier in the week, Radio New Zealand recorded her playing a sonata and four capriccios by the Polish composer, Grizyna Bacewicz — “a woman composer, that’s very important” she said.