‘That was the highlight of my festival,” says violinist Julian Rachlin with a somewhat mischievous smile as he takes a rest in the lobby of Tel Aviv’s Hilton Hotel. Here (again) to perform the Brahms violin concerto with the Israel Philharmonic under Gianandrea Noseda, Rachlin is referring to his Julian Rachlin and Friends annual festival in Dubrovnik, particularly The Music Critic show.
“The idea belongs to my friend violinist Aleksey Igudesman, but I have contributed to it, too. John Malkovich, with his ‘evil incarnate’ looks, read the most scathing reviews written about what later turned out to be great music, and then excerpts of it were performed.
Luckily, at the last minute we found a terrible review about Malkovich himself in a Turkish newspaper, and Igudesman composed an Oriental style piece of music, and that was a hit!” Getting serious, he adds: “But it was not about making fun of critics but rather to show that we all are able to serve music in our own way.
And if we do it well, we may be remembered.”
Rachlin admits that although inside he feels the same as in his youth, he is not a boy anymore.
“Look, I’m 37 with 24 years on the professional concert stage behind me, and this is a great age. Because when you’re young, you’re nothing’ You have to work hard to prove that you’re worth something. And now you don’t need to prove anything.
You can just perform a Brahms or Beethoven concerto in the evening, exercise a bit to keep yourself in good shape, and enjoy your life the rest of the time. But that is not for me!” he laughs.
“I conduct orchestras – but not too many. I think I should limit myself so I don’t lose the quality of the music making, adding only two new pieces every year to my repertoire. And I collaborate with composers, such as Israeli Avner Dorman or American Lera Auerbach. I am so happy and proud that composers always send me their music, and Penderecky has dedicated his new double concerto to me, which I am about to premiere in Vienna. I make it a point to commission music to composers, and I have found financial support for these
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