Those fearsome Karkowskas: the Mozarteum strikes back
mainDear Mr. Lebrecht,
Some years ago I (violin teacher in the Mozarteum/ Salzburg) and some students became so upset about Anna Karkowska that we made this video as a satirical protest. The first version was prohibited by Karkowska.
But this version you won’t regret.
With best and vibratoless wishes,
Lavard Skou Larsen
As the great former Philadelphia Orchestra principal trumpet Frank Kaderabek told us students in a masterclass once:If you don’t want vibrato,do it on a honk!Couldn’t agree more!
What in #ell does that mean?
Clearly, this PROVES there’s only one Anna Karkowska, and all the imitating of her is futile. Futile and silly. There still remains only one inimitable Karkowska, and no school (or TEACHER) in league with the devil will ever attain what she has. In fact the first imitation remains one too many, being that it’s totally impossible you’ll ever be Karkowska herself!
And it will never be the same. No one will ever create the same impact she has. Completely won’t happen. Nope….
It seems the dreary Mozarteum/Salzburg cannot abide the fun time Ms. Krakowska seems
to be having from all this nonsense . Invoking the Heifetz name shows they know little
of the violin art world .
Nothing can beat Florence Foster Jenkins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h4f77T-LoM
What point are you trying to make ……
Florence Foster Jenkins is EVEN worse at performing than the Polish girl who imagines she plays the violin. For entertainment, Florence does better.
To compare the two is to do an injustice to Ms. Jenkins , and to believe that Krakowska
is not a deliberate put on is to be naive .Ms. Jenkins was in many ways more of a true artist
than many celebrated stars that have come and gone .She truly believed in her artistry no
matter how awful the result, and her aim was always to serve the composer, something too
few celebrated stars past and present bother about .Her obit made note of that fact and also that
she gave her all in performance no matter what the result,something a few then celebrated
singers at the met might take notice of when telephoning in a performance .
The road to quartertones is paved with good intentions…. Imagine Mrs Jenkis had been a well-meaning but utterly flawed amateur dentist.
Every profession has a professional basis of craft… I am sorry to say.
A violin teacher making and posting such a video is weird, unprofessional and scary. What was the point? Doesn’t he and his pupils have anything better to do?
As to Ms Karkowska : if she really studied in the institutions she mentions, that says a lot about private education. Most state-funded schools in mainland Europe wouldn’t even consider her for an under-graduate course.
http://annakarkowska.com/2c.html
Lavard Skou Larsen? Never heard of him. Is he mad that no matter how “well” he or his students play, that none of them will be as famous as Karkowska?
Who would I rather listen to? This girl or Gunter Pichler? That’s a tough one…
They were “upset” by her playing? Sheesh. Get a life.
“Every profession has a professional basis of craft ” that’s why we got the dreadful three tenors schtick … I’ve experienced Pavarotti which was something akin to a tooth ache,
and also Callas in search of the correct note which prepares you for any flawed dentist
practicing the craft .
Divine satire! Vicious… but heavenly!