Roger Federer is still the biggest violin fan

Roger Federer is still the biggest violin fan

News

norman lebrecht

October 22, 2021

Ever since we reported exclusively in 2012 that Federer took his Mum on her birthday to hear the Beethoven violin concerto, proofs have been arriving of his sustained devotion to the instrument.

He has turned out on court with Anne-Sophie Mutter and extended his musical circle.

His latest pal is Renaud Capuçon, whose concert Federer attended in Zurich.

They tweeted back and forth.

 

Capucon’s cellist brother Gautier is also a fan: ‘Tennis is a sport that I love above all. I have seen extraordinary matches at Roland Garros. I admire the artist Roger Federer who is amazing! He has an elegance, with a single gesture.’

Comments

  • NYMike says:

    Elegance, indeed!

  • Fred Funk says:

    The viola players probably watch tennis with a bucket of Cajun fried chicken, and a few beers. #AirFreshener

  • Ronan Maia Roma says:

    Bravo,bravissimo!!

  • John Borstlap says:

    There is a story that Federer sometimes secretly trains with a violin instead of a tennis racket, to enhance his elegance, but it may be an apocryphal one since it comes from a viola player.

  • Robert Levin says:

    Federer is the Milstein of tennis players – he is an aristocrat on the court and his playing is architecturally magnificent! I wonder if he has ever heard any of Nathan’s recordings?

  • BigSir says:

    Looks like a bromance…

  • Frank Flambeau says:

    Aging tennis star trying to gain fame elsewhere?

  • Gary Freer says:

    Backhanded compliment?

  • David K. Nelson says:

    The first tennis racket I ever held (before quickly losing interest) was part of the inventory of sports gear, all of it ancient, for the summer recreation league at my city’s school playground. It was so old it had actual “cat gut” strings! (The basketball was actual leather.)

    Perhaps Roger Federer could dig one up and become the first of the Historically Informed tennis players?

    Not entirely irrelevant is the fact that the 78 rpm recording that John McCormack and Fritz Kreisler made of Rachmaninov’s “When Night Descends” was made at the personal request of tennis star Bill Tilden.

  • John Borstlap says:

    I won’t say what terrible games are played over here with violas.

    Sally

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