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- INTERNATIONAL PRESS and RADIO - 3 -

click on the date to read the article

AUGUST 2007

DAVID GARRETT, Der Junge mit göttlichem Geigenton, Duisburg, german37 10th August 2007

DAVID GARRETT - Wie der kalifornische Beach Boy german36 9th August 2007

 

JULY 2007

DAVID GARRETT, "Fresh appeal" INTERVIEW UK 27th July 2007

DAVID GARRETT, il violinista che fa impazzire le donne. ITALIA I F Luglio 2007

Quella volta che non ho suonato per Sienna. INTERVISTA I1 26 luglio 2007

Von Allüren nichts zu spüren german35 23 Juli 2007

Poster boy music prodigy 23th July 2007 UK1

MANNHEIMER SCHLOSSFESTSPIELE german34 22th July 2007

Eine Konzert- Party in Regensburg: "Last Night of the Thurn und Taxis Proms" german33 8th July 2007

 

JUNE 2007

Free from SINGAPORE UK2 June 2007

DAVID GARRETT in SINGAPORE: "Blond Ambition" INTERVIEW UK3 June 2007

David Garrett: Violin Virtuoso -David drops by and talks about hair, break-ins and more! INTERVIEW UK4 22th June 2007

David Garrett: «Col violino sposo Paganini e i Metallica» I2 F1 18 giugno 2007

 

 

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Germany, Duisburg, 10th August 2007

Open Air Sommer-Proms-Konzert

 

Kanu-Party mit Philharmonikern

Ausverkauftes Open-Air-Konzert auf der WM-Plaza. Viel Beifall für das Duisburger Orchester.

Gefühlvolles Spiel von Geiger David Garrett. Anthony Hermus als souveräner Dirigent

DDie Duisburger Philharmoniker haben wirklich treue Fans, die ihr Orchester nicht nur bei Gratis-Konzerten hören wollen. So war das Open-Air-Konzert am Freitag auf der WM-Plaza an der Regattabahn ausverkauft...

Ebenso virtuos wie wild präsentierte sich der aus Aachen stammende und jetzt in New York lebende Geiger David Garrett. Vivaldis "Sommer" musizierte er mit energischem und rauem Bogenstrich, Pablo de Sarasates vertrackte "Zigeunerweisen" spielte er mit bewundernswerter Lässigkeit. Von seiner gefühlvollen Seite zeigte sich David Garrett in der Violinen-Romanze in F-Dur von Ludwig van Beethoven und dem Metallica-Klassiker "Nothing else matters", das bei Garrett wie Puccini klang...

Das Publikum dankte den Duisburger Philharmonikern und ihrem Dirigenten für ein schönes und weltmeisterliches Open-Air-Konzert.

 

   (source: Von Rudolf Hermes, 12.08.2007, http://www.waz.de/waz/waz.duisburg.volltext.php?kennung=on4wazLOKStaDuisburg39304&zulieferer=waz&kategorie=LOK&rubrik=Stadt&region=Duisburg&auftritt=WAZ&dbserver=1)

 

 

Musik lag in der Luft

 

D1 EIn Sommernachtstraum mit den Philharmonikern im Sportpark Wedau. Lässiges Outfit, brillant und routiniert am Instrument: Der 25-jährige Geiger David Garrett.

OPEN-AIR-KONZERT. Philharmoniker läuteten ihre Saison vor den Toren der Kanu-WM ein. Der junge Geiger David Garrett passte nahtlos ins Konzept. Benny Martell bot zuviel Schmalzgebackenes.

Der Wettergott meinte es gut mit den Duisburger Philharmonikern, als sie mit ihrem traditionellen Open-Air-Konzert die neue Saison einläuteten. Diesmal postierte sich das Orchester vor gut 2000 Hörern im Sportpark Wedau vor den Toren der Kanu-WM, wobei es nicht ganz so volkstümlich und offen zuging wie vor einem Jahr bei der "Italienischen Nacht" zur Fußball-WM auf dem Burgplatz. Sorgfältig behütete Absperrgitter, Kassenhäuschen und VIP-Zelte tragen wenig dazu bei, die Popularität eines Symphonie-Orchesters zu erhöhen und Schwellenängste abzubauen...

Und auch der 25-jährige Geiger David Garrett passte mit seiner deutsch-amerikanischen Herkunft nahtlos in dieses Konzept. Auch er beschränkte sich auf Ohrwürmer aus nachmittäglichen Wunschkonzerten wie Sarasates "Zigeunerweisen", Montis "Czardas" oder Beethovens Romanze in F-Dur. Das alles meisterte der blendend aussehende und ebenso gut aufgelegte Geiger in seinem lässigen Outfit ebenso gekonnt wie routiniert. Besonders gefühlvoll ging es zum Abschluss des Programms mit einer Eigenbearbeitung der "Metallica"-Ballade "Nothing else matters" zu. Das Publikum reagierte dankbar bis begeistert auf die philharmonischen und solistischen Häppchen...

(source: PEDRO OBIERA , 12.08.2007, http://www.nrz.de/nrz/nrz.duisburg.volltext.php?kennung=on2nrzPOLStaDuisburg39304&zulieferer=nrz&kategorie=POL&rubrik=Stadt&region=Duisburg&auftritt=NRZ&dbserver=1)

 

Der Junge mit göttlichem Geigenton

David Garrett bekam reichlich Applaus und wartete neben Klassikern auch mit einer Rockballade auf.

D2(RP) Wie gut, wenn man jedes Jahr gleich Erfreuliches berichten kann. Das Open Air Sommer-Proms-Konzert der Duisburger Philharmoniker ist schon eine schöne Tradition geworden, mehr noch: ein spaßiges Ritual. Fast überflüssig zu betonen, dass auch die diesjährige Ausgabe, diesmal im Rahmen der Kanu-Weltmeisterschaft und zu Beginn statt am Ende der Spielzeit, ein Riesen-Erfolg war. Obwohl erstmals Eintritt genommen wurde, blieb auf der Kanu-WM-Plaza zwischen Regattabahn und MSV-Arena wieder kein Platz frei.

...Da gab es weit mehr Beifall für David Garrett, den jungen Solisten mit der Baseball-Kappe und dem göttlichen Geigenton – ob in der wahrhaft klassischen Beethoven-Romanze F-Dur, den irre virtuosen „Zigeunerweisen“ von Sarasate oder seinem eigenen Arrangement der Vorzeige-Rockballade „Nothing else matters“ der Metal- und Trash Metal-Band Metallica. Zumal der Deutsch-Amerikaner angenehm bescheiden herüberkam....

(source: INGO HODDICK, 13.08.2007,

http://www.rponline.de/public/article/regional/niederrheinnord/duisburg/nachrichten/duisburg/468045)

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Wie der kalifornische Beach Boy

D3 MUSIK. David Garrett, der einst als geigendes "Wunderkind" durch Europa tourte, gibt heute in Duisburg ein Open-Air-Konzert.

DUISBURG. Das tut ihm jetzt echt leid. David Garrett, der heute mit den Duisburger Philharmonikern auf der Kanu WM-Plaza am Wedaustadion ein Open-Air-Konzert gibt, lächelt verlegen entschuldigend: "Wirklich, ich weiß nicht, ob ich früher mal mit den Duisburger Philharmonikern gespielt hab´. Man ist so vergesslich." Ach, du liebe Güte! Der Mann wird am 4. September gerade mal 26 Jahre alt, da muss er doch noch einigermaßen wissen, was er bisher getan hat und wo.

Normalerweise schon. Wer aber mit zarten 13 Jahren als jüngster Künstler einen Exklusivvertrag bei der Deutschen Grammophon Gesellschaft unterzeichnet hat und mit 17 Jahren als geigendes "Wunderkind" bereits in ganz Europa und Japan mit den bedeutendsten Orchestern und Dirigenten auf der Bühne gestanden hat, den kann schon mal die eine oder andere Gedächtnislücke plagen. Zumal der hochgewachsene Geigenvirtuose seit 2005 wieder quer durch die Welt zu Konzerten jettet, allein im vergangenen Jahr 64-mal über den Atlantik und 16-mal über den Pazifik.

Auf dem Kopf die Baseballkappe

An Duisburg erinnert sich der in Aachen aufgewachsene Sohn einer US-Amerikanerin und eines Deutschen indes wohl, doch in anderer Hinsicht. "Ich hatte mal eine Bekanntschaft hier. Das war in der 11. Jahrgangsstufe." Ob er die wiedererkennen würde? Sicher sei er sich da nicht, überlegt Garrett laut. "Vielleicht, wenn sie in der ersten Reihe sitzen würde?" Die ist allerdings meist besetzt mit jungen, zuweilen sehr jungen Mädels. Was nicht weiter verwundert. An den braven Kleinen mit dem für Geigenwunderkinder unvermeidlichen Pottschnitt, der auch einst den Kopf des Duisburger Stargeigers Frank Peter Zimmermann zierte, erinnert heute nichts mehr. David Garrett sieht eher aus wie der klassische kalifornische Beach Boy. Auch zum Interviewtermin läuft er in Jeans, Schlappen und lockerem Sweater auf, seine kostbare Guadagnini von 1772 im Geigenkasten lässig geschultert, auf dem Kopf die unvermeidliche Baseballkappe.

Aha, einer, der sich nicht in die Augen und in die Karten schauen lassen will. Mitnichten! Anerkennung seines großen Könnens nimmt er weder blasiert zur Kenntnis, noch huldvoll arrogant entgegen. Stattdessen bedankt er sich artig: "Das ist ein großes Kompliment für mich." Ohne Zicken spricht er auch über sein Leben. Erzählt, dass er mit seinem Aussehen Geld als Model verdient hat. Damals, als er mit 18 Jahren seine Karriere unterbrochen hat und in die USA übersiedelte, um dort noch mal die Schulbank zu drücken bei Itzhak Perlman an der Juilliard School. Das kostete immerhin 30 000 Dollar im Jahr.

"Weil ich als der Jüngere alles haben wollte"

"Meinem Bruder hatten die Eltern die Geige angedreht. Weil ich als der Jüngere alles haben wollte, was er hatte, hab´ ich sie freiwillig genommen." Viel spricht er nicht über das, was folgte. "Als ich jung war, hat man mich nie so gefragt, ob ich das machen möchte." Heute ist er sich sicher, dass er genau das machen will.

Gut vier Jahre dauerte die Auszeit, in der Garrett darüber nachgedacht hat, ob er sein Leben lang Musik machen will. Ob er täglich mindestens drei Stunden Fronarbeit auf der Geige absolvieren will. Er hat sich bewusst dafür entschieden und versucht nun, seine Nachbarn in dem Appartement am Central Park, das er mit seinem älteren Bruder bewohnt, nicht allzu sehr zu quälen. "Deshalb fange ich nie vor sieben Uhr an zu üben", grinst Garret.

Eigentlich sei er auch sehr befreundet mit den Nachbarn, obwohl das in den USA eine andere Bedeutung habe als in Deutschland. "Die sind schon ziemlich oberflächlich dort. Ich glaube, in Europa und Deutschland sind Freundschaften tiefsinniger." Sein Geburtsland schätzt er auch in musikalischer Hinsicht. "Deutschland ist sehr traditionsverbunden. Das liebe ich an der deutschen Kultur, dass man sich erinnert, wo man seine Wurzeln hat." In den USA hingegen werde die Kultur nicht so geschätzt, aber dafür bieten sich dort für Klassiker wie ihn ganz andere Freiheiten. Und die hat er auch für sein neues Album "Free" genutzt, das Anfang 2008 auf den deutschen Markt kommt. (NRZ)

 

(source: ULLA SAAL, 09.08.2007, http://www.nrz.de/nrz/nrz.politik.volltext.php?kennung=on8nrzOS1OSRNational39301&zulieferer=nrz&kategorie=OS1&rubrik=OSR-T1&region=National&auftritt=NRZ&dbserver=1)

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Fresh appeal

 

UK5 GERMAN-born David Garrett could well be classified as a crossover but that does not mean he has crossed over, so to speak. 

By his own admission he is still more of a classical violinist than one of the new breed of crossover artistes so one can think of him as a throwback to the days of someone like Britain’s maverick violinist, Nigel Kennedy. 

For someone who has had a pretty privileged musical upbringing, having been taught by his father for much of his formative years, he’s also one of the more down-to-earth and independent violinists.  

“Oh absolutely. Ninety per cent of my repertoire is core classical,” Garrett enthused.  

He’s recorded many albums too, especially since he signed exclusively to the Deautsch-Gramaphon label at the age of 13.  

But there are reasons for the recent release of Free, Garrett’s first “crossover” album, and bridging the generation gap is what he is aiming for. 

“I really want young people to be able to listen to a classical or even semi-classical music album,” said the 25-year-old who is of German-American parentage during a recent interview in Singapore. 

“These days it is very difficult to attract young people’s attention with classical music. It’s supposed to build a bridge. Of course, the material is supposed to be accessible to them. That’s the whole idea.” 

Not that Garrett did not have any support in his career.  

“I’m actually quite lucky, normally there are young people at my concerts, even though most of the audience tend to be older.” 

Whether classical or avant-garde, Garrett does not have a specific preference in his repertoire.  

”I try to make the piece I perform my favourite. I do get into the whole composition. Seriously, every time I perform a piece, at that moment, it is my all-time favourite.” 

His future plans are pretty much parked on Free for the time being. 

“There’s going to be a lot of promotions for this one – Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Britain, Germany, the United States. I don’t think that before the States next February, there is going to be any plans to record something new. 

“If I have the time, when I get back to New York, I’d like to do more chamber music,” he added. Garrett has been living there for the past seven years.  

“The next thing I’m planning to do is a little bit more of the contemporary stuff. That’s still a direction I have not done too much when it comes to core classical stuff – avant garde and Shostakovitch’s violin concerto.” 

With that much on his plate how does he keep fresh? 

“You always have to practise and keep yourself in shape to do these things, about three to four hours’ practice per day. 

“It’s more like keeping in shape. It was easier when you worked as a kid; a lot of things are natural, they just stick, you don’t have to get better. Technically, there’s a physical limit to what you can do and once you reach that you just kind of sustain the momentum and the flexibility.” 

His next project is a work by German composer Felix Mendelssohn. “You always have to be respectful to the composer, you have to go back to the score and start from scratch. It’s going to take me a week or two to get it the way I want it to be.” 

Then there’s his violin, a 1718 Stradivarius classic.  

“I got it when I was 12 years old, just before I signed with Deutsche Grammaphon, so all the recordings I’ve ever done were on this violin. I thought it was hard to play (at first), it was more difficult than the violin I originally had. It took me quite a few months to get used to it, kind of a stubborn violin to break in.” 

Playing a full-sized violin wasn’t an issue for him then.  

“I was quite tall at 12, I was big enough to play it. I even had my first normal-sized violin when I was nine so that makes sense.” 

 

(source; By JASON CHEAH, July 27, 2007, http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/27/music/18369420&sec=music)

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Quella volta che non ho suonato per Sienna.

 

I3 Pomeriggio di piena estate,quartiere Bicocca di Milano.La scena più o meno è questa:al trentesimo piano di un grattacielo(la nuova sede della casa discografica Universal,ndr) c’è un ragazzo con i capelli biondi lunghi, che indossa jeans, una maglietta arancione e un cappellino da rapper.E’ in piedi e si agita in maniera strana.Nel piazzale sottostante la gente in pausa pranzo ha smesso di fare qualsiasi cosa e ha gli occhi puntati in alto.Negli uffici al piano le persone sono usciti dalla propria stanza e sono assiepate nel corridoio.La ragazza alla reception si è alzata per capire cosa è successo all’impianto stereo che diffondeva musica R&B. E’ successo che David Garrett,26 anni, violinista tedesco, alla fine dell’intervista con Vanity fair ha tirato fuori il suo Stradivari S.Lorenzo del 1718 dall’astuccio e ha iniziato a suonare.Una sinfonia di Bach.E il mondo si è fermato.

Quanto costa il suo violino?

Circa 4 milioni di dollari.Fu costruito quasi trecento anni fa per il principe di Madrid.

Come l’ha avuto?

Sono stato fortunato. Quando avevo 13 anni ho suonato per il presidente della Germania di allora, Richard von Weizsacker, che è rimasto molto colpito e ha fatto in modo di farmelo avere. Strumenti del genere sono impossibili da comprare per i comuni mortali. Se hai molto talento però, puoi ottenerlo in prestito, per periodi più o meno lunghi, da filantropi o certe fondazioni.

Potrebbe spiegare, nel modo più semplice possibile, che differenza c’è tra uno Stradivari e un altro violino?

Se io suono davanti a lei a due metri di distanza, non la sente;ma se mi esibisco in una grande sala, magari con un’orchestra, lo Stradivari fa la differenza perché ha una frequenza speciale.

Lei quindi, gira con quattro milioni di dollari addosso da quando ha 13 anni. Non ha mai paura di perderlo o dimenticarlo?

Se te lo porti dietro da quando hai quattro anni, il violino diventa parte del tuo corpo. Dimenticarlo è impossibile, per me sarebbe come uscire senza pantaloni.

Potrebbero rubarglielo.

Non vede come sono vestito. Nessuno potrebbe pensare che giro con qualcosa di così prezioso addosso. E comunque, se uno mi punta una pistola e lo vuole, glielo do immediatamente:la vita è più preziosa di un violino. Da bambino poi, visto che studiarlo è pesante e faticoso, sognavo spesso che un ladro si introducesse in casa di notte. A quel tempo lo avrei pregato io di portarselo via.

Era così un incubo per lei?

Scherzavo, ovvio. Ma sono felice di non essere più un bambino.

Perché?

Per il violino ho perso tutta la mia infanzia. Quando un bambino mostra di avere un talento, nello sport o in altre cose, purtroppo capita spesso  che i genitori gli mettano addosso un po’ di pressione. Ne mio caso è stato mio padre, un avvocato che suonava il violino anche se non a livello professionale. Lo fece studiare da subito a mio fratello ma lui lo detestava. Io glielo rubavo spesso per imitarlo e… fu subito chiaro che ero portato, perché suonavo con facilità estrema. Da allora sono stato chiuso in casa, a studiare e a suonare. I maestri venivano a domicilio, perché non potevo perdere tempo, ero sempre da solo, non avevo amici. Per anni l’unico altro bambino che ho visto è stato mio fratello.

Che carattere ha sviluppato?

Sono stato molto serio fino a 18 anni, anche se non lo ero mai abbastanza per il mondo della musica classica che è ultraconservatore. Deve immaginarsi un bambino in un ambiente di vecchi, che usciva di casa solo per andare a fare concerti in giro per il mondo.

E poi?

A 18 anni, di nascosto dai miei genitori, ho fatto domanda per entrare alla Juilliard School di New York. Mi chiamarono per un provino e io, con la scusa di andare a trovare mio fratello che all’epoca si trovava a Boston, ottenni dai miei genitori il permesso di partire per l’America. All’audizione mi presero e li mi si è aperto un mondo.

In che senso?

Innanzitutto ho scoperto le ragazzeAlla Juilliard era pieno perché non insegnano solo musica ma anche recitazione. Per di più, al 14 piano, c’è la scuola dell’American Ballett e io ho sempre avuto un debole per le ballerine… insomma c’era davvero l’imbarazzo della scelta.

Lei però non sarà stato molto esperto negli approcci, visto che aveva vissuto fino a quel momento sotto una campana di vetro.

InfattiEro molto timidoLa mia unica esperienza con il sesso femminile l’avevo avuta a 17 anni in Israele, dove ero andato per un concertoC’era una ragazza che lavorava in un kibbutz,non molto carina a dire il vero, che si è approfittata di me:mi ha baciato e io non ho avuto il coraggio di sottrarmi!

Invece a New York?

Ho conosciuto il paradiso. La mia prima ragazza è stata una violinista, ma ho scoperto che non è bello fare lo stesso mestiere:c’è troppa competizione. Da allora ho sempre scelto donne che non capiscono un tubo della musica classica.La mia seconda relazione l’ho avuta con una donna che amava il R&B e odiava il violino. L’ultima è finita qualche settimana fa. Era una modellaamericana, amava la musica rock genere Marilyn Manson-che anche a me piace devo ammettere-ma veniva volentieri pure ai miei concerti. L’ho portata persino in tournèe con me.

Perché è finita tra voi?

Siamo stati insieme sette mesi,era bellissima e completamente pazza. Ma beveva troppo per i miei gusti…e poi troppe droghe sul serio.

Non ha provato a farla smettere?

Lei diceva che non ne prendeva più, ma sicuramente ne ha prese tante quando era giovane e si è bruciata il cervello. Era molto dolce ma poteva trasformarsi nella persona più orribile. Io stesso ho lavorato come modello per un periodo, per guadagnare soldi extra e potermi pagare la scuola, ma di quel mondo non ho mai potuto sopportare il fatto di vedere tante ragazze, giovani e belle, imbottirsi di droga.

Lei non ha mai avuto tentazioni?

Quando si è giovani credo sia normale provare un po tutto, ma io ho sempre avuto la musica che mi ha salvato. Nessuno si immagina quanto sia importante essere lucidi per suonare uno strumento come questo, che richiede prontezza di riflessi.Da come suona un violinista puoi capire che tipo di notte ha avuto.La droga quindi per me non è mai stata una tentazione, perché sapevo che volevo fare questo mestiere.

Prima parlava dell’esigenza di fare soldi extra. Non si guadagna bene con i concerti?

Bisognerebbe chiederlo ai miei genitori. Quando sono partito per New York mi hanno detto di non avere soldi, eppure io da bambino ho fatto un sacco di concerti…ma sono troppo orgoglioso per affrontare questo argomento con loro.

Nel suo cd Free, uscito in Aprile,mescola la classica con altri generi musicali.Non ha temuto di contaminarsi?

No.Mi sono sempre piaciuti differenti tipi di musica.Con questo disco, dove riarrangio pezzi noti e che i giovani conoscono, perchè alcuni sono anche colonne sonore di film, spero di riavvicinarli alla classica.

Dato il suo aspetto le giovani le avvicina di sicuro.

In Giappone sono abbastanza scatenate…In ogni caso, non inizierei mai una relazione con una fan.

Neanche se fosse la signorina che ha stampata sulla maglietta (Naomi Campbell,ndr.)?

Lei scherza, ma pensi che l’anno scorso mi è successa una cosa del genere. Al termine di un concerto benefico a Londra è venuta a trovarmi in camerino Sienna Miller. Mi ha detto che era impazzita per la mia musica, e che assomiglio al suo ex Jude Law. Purtroppo il mio manager, che non l’aveva riconosciuta, ha fatto irruzione nella stanza e mi ha trascinato via, dicendo che doveva presentarmi delle persone. Non ho avuto il tempo di dire nulla. Però dopo l’ho massacrato.

(Fonte: Sara Faillaci    Vanity Fair n.29 26 luglio 2007)

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DAVID GARRETT, il violinista che fa impazzire le donne.  

I4 Bellissimo, affascinante e con uno straordinario talento: chi è il il ventiseienne tedesco che ha stregato persino Sienna Miller

Tedesco, ventisei ani, David Garrett è diventato un idolo per molte donne nonostante non sia un modello né un cantante. L’affascinante ragazzone tedesco è un violinista di grande talento, che da quando aveva tredici anni gira il mondo con uno strumento da quattro milioni di dollari. “Per il violino ho perso tutta la mia infanzia….– racconta David a Vanity Fair – sono stato chiuso in casa a studiare e suonare. I maestri venivano a domicilio, perché non potevo perdere tempo, ero sempre da solo, non avevo amici. Per anni l’unico altro bambino che ho visto è stato mio fratello”.

Poi, però, qualcosa è cambiato a 18 anni. “Innanzi tutto ho scoperto le ragazze. Alla Julliard era pieno perché non insegnano solo musica, ma anche danza e recitazione…. Ero molto timido. La mia unica esperienza con il sesso femminile l’avevo avuta a 17 anni in Israele, dove ero andato per un concerto...”. Poi, continua Garrett, a New York “Ho conosciuto il paradiso. La mia prima “ragazza” è stata una violinista, ma ho scoperto che non è bello fare lo stesso mestiere: c’è troppa competizione. Da allora ho sempre scelto donne che non capiscono un tubi di musica classica. La mia seconda relazione l’ho avuta con una donna che amava il R&B e odiava il violino. L’ultima è finita qualche settimana fa. Era una modella americana… In ogni caso, non inizierei mai una relazione con una fan…. Ma pensi che l’anno scorso al termine di un concerto a Londra è venuta a trovarmi in camerino Sienna Miller. Mi ha detto che era impazzita per la mia musica e che assomigliavo al suo ex Jude Law. Purtroppo il mio manager, che non l’aveva riconosciuta, ha fatto irruzione nella stanza…”.

(Fonte: VipLine.it20/07/2007, http://www.vipline.it/index.php?status=vlnews&idnews=5356)

 

DAVID GARRETT, le violoniste qui rend les femmes folles.

F2 Beau, fascinant et avec un talent extraordinaire: qui est l’Allemand de 26 ans qui a même ensorcelé Sienna Miller

Allemand, vingt six ans, David Garrett est devenu l’idole pour beaucoup de femmes malgré le fait qu’il ne soit ni mannequin ni chanteur. L’Allemand fascinant est un violoniste de grand talent, qui depuis l’âge de treize ans, parcourt le monde avec un instrument de quatre millions de dollars. “Pour le violon, j’ai perdu toute mon enfance...” - raconte David à Vanity Fair italien- j’ai été enfermé à la maison pour étudier et jouer la musique. Les professeurs venaient à domicile, parce que je ne pouvais pas perdre de temps, j’étais toujours seul, je n’avais pas d’amis. Pendant des années, l’unique autre enfant que je voyais, c’était mon frère.”

Puis, quelque chose a changé à 18 ans. D’abord, j’ai découvert les filles. A la Juilliard School, il y en avait plein parce que ils n’enseignaient pas seulement la musique, mais aussi la danse et le théatre... J’étais très timide. Ma première expérience avec le sexe féminin, je l’ai eue à 17 ans en Israël, où j’étais allé pour un concert...” Puis, continue Garrett, à New York, “J’ai connu le paradis. Ma première “fille” était violoniste, mais j’ai découvert que ce n’est pas bien de faire le même métier: il y a trop de compétition. Depuis, j’ai toujours choisi des femmes qui ne captent rien à la musique classique. Ma seconde relation, je l’ai eue avec une femme qui aimait le R&B et détestait le violon. La dernière s’est terminée il y a quelque semaines. C’était un mannequin américain... De toute façon, je n’entamerais jamais une relation avec une fan... Mais pense un peu, l’année dernière, à la fin d’un concert à Londres, Sienna Miller est venue me trouver dans ma loge. Elle m’a dit qu’elle était folle de ma muysique et que je rerssemblais à son ex Jude Law. Malheureusement, mon manager, qui ne l’avait pas reconnue, a fait irruption dans la pièce...”

(Source: VipLine.it, 20/07/2007, http://www.vipline.it/index.php?status=vlnews&idnews=5356)

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Von Allüren nichts zu spüren

 

D4 PORTRÄT. Stargeiger David Garrett schaute vor seinem Auftritt am 10. August mal vorbei.

Wer zuweilen mit einem kostbaren Instrument unterm Arm lässig durch die Weltgeschichte spaziert, kann eigentlich nicht überkandidelt sein. Wer bei seinen Konzerten weltweit ständig aus den ersten Reihen von hübschen Mädels angehimmelt wird, könnte es schon.

David Garrett ist es trotzdem nicht. Zwar wird der Stargeiger deutsch-amerikanischer Abstammung, der in Aachen aufgewachsen ist, als schöner Mann vermarktet - was er zweifelsohne ist. Aber sein Aussehen ist ihm Mittel zum Zweck. Sagt er. "Es ist die Aufgabe meiner Generation, junge Menschen für die Klassik zu interessieren. Die Schulen machen das kaum noch und auch in den Medien hat die klassische Musik eine Außenseiter-Position. Wenn das Interesse an der Klassik sich zunächst an meiner Person festmacht, ist das keine schlechte Sache."

Ängste, über die Schiene verheizt zu werden, plagen den noch 25-Jährigen nicht. "Ach", seufzt er und wischt die angemeldeten Zweifel mit feingliedrigen Händen vom Tisch, "wenn man das so lange macht wie ich, weiß man, wo die Gefahren liegen." Die hat er wohl früh kennengelernt als Wunderkind, das mit nur 13 Jahren als jüngster Exklusivkünstler bei der Deutschen Grammophon unter Vertrag stand.

Viel spricht er nicht über jene Zeit. "Als ich jung war, hat man mich nie so gefragt, ob ich das machen möchte." Heute ist er sich sicher, dass er das machen will. Gut vier Jahre hat er sich eine Auszeit genommen, um darüber nachzudenken, ob er sein Leben lang Musik machen will. Ob er täglich mindestens drei Stunden Fronarbeit auf der Geige leisten, Bach und Paganini und andere Fingerübungen absolvieren will, oder ob er nicht vielleicht doch lieber Wirtschaft studieren will. In Harvard, wie sein älterer Bruder, der dort Jura studiert hat. "So schlecht war ich in der Schule nicht", grinst Garrett.

Guadagnini statt Stradivari

Gut, sein Bruder habe ein Einser-Abitur hingelegt. Andererseits habe sein Bruder, mit dem er gemeinsam ein Appartment am Central Park in New York bewohnt, das ungeliebte Geigespielen aufgegeben, was er - David - nun bewusst zu seinem Beruf gemacht habe.

Die Entscheidung führte dazu, dass er die geliehene Stradivari, die er ebenfalls jahrelang lässig schulterte, vor etwa zwei Jahren eingetauscht hat gegen eine Violine von Guadagnini aus dem Jahr 1772. Sein Eigentum sei die aber noch lange nicht, lacht er bedauernd. Den Preis verrät Garrett nicht, aber er dürfte laut Kennern um die zwei Millionen Euro liegen. Dafür muss eine alte Frau lange stricken und ein junger Mann lange geigen.

Auch aus diesem Grund jettet Garrett quer durch die Welt zu Konzerten, im letzten Jahr 64 Mal über den Atlantik, 16 Mal über den Pazifik. Da bleibt für das Privatleben herzlich wenig Zeit, und es verwundert nicht, wenn er lachend betont: "Natürlich bin ich noch zu haben."

(source: ULLA SAAL, 23.07.2007   

http://www.nrz.de/nrz/nrz.nachbarstadt.volltext.php?kennung=on1nrzPOLStaDuisburg39284&zulieferer=nrz&kategorie=POL&rubrik=Stadt&region=Duisburg&auftritt=NRZ&dbserver=1)

 

D5...David Garrett ist ein Star, Teenies feiern ihn wie eine Ein-Mann-Boygroup. Dass er zur Kultfigur erhoben wird, stört ihn überhaupt nicht. "Ich finde es unglaublich wichtig, junge Menschen für Klassik zu begeistern", so Garrett. Und wenn die Begeisterung über eine Person erreicht werde, sei das doch in Ordnung. "In der Rockmusik läuft das ja auch nicht anders...

(source: Hajo Berns, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung – vom 24.07.2007

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Poster boy music prodigy

 

UK6 With five classical albums and a ‘fun’ crossover effort, David Garrett is going places. CHOW EE-TAN checks out this erstwhile child prodigy, now a seriously talented and very good-looking violinist.

SPORTING shoulder-length blonde hair with poster boy good looks and a toned physique, violinist David Garrett looks more like a pop idol or model than a classical musician.

No wonder he has been dubbed the “Beckham of classical music”.

His name may not be familiar in this part of the world (yet), but Garrett has already established himself in the classical music fraternity in Europe and America. And he is only 25.

From the age of eight, with a management team already behind him, Garrett was playing solo with leading international orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Russian National Orchestra, attracting the attention of the world’s foremost music teachers and conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado and Mikhail Pletnev.

He has played for popes, princes and presidents. The German president was so impressed by the then 11-year-old Garrett that he helped to secure the young musician a priceless 1718 violin by Antonio Stradivari.

Having recorded five albums — all strictly classical — Garrett has diversified his music direction and released a crossover album titled Free, featuring tracks such as La Califfa (Morricone), Carmen Fantasie (Bizet) and Somewhere from the musical West Side Story.

Recently in Singapore for a promo tour he gave a showcase at Oosh Club, Dempsey Road.

When asked what classification of musician he sees himself as, Garrett replied without hesitation: “I’m a core classical musician. Ninety per cent of the time, I play as a soloist with symphony orchestras and in recitals.

“This new CD project was meant to be fun. I thought it might be a good thing to get young people to be interested in the instrument and to make classical music more accessible to them,” he said.

The album means a lot to him as he is in charge of composing, arranging and producing.

One of the pieces he is very excited about is the new version of the Carmen Fantasie by Bizet — on which he collaborated with guitarist Paco Pena.

It has influences of Spanish Flamenco music, and contains a very melancholic side that is combined with the rhythmic side of the opera.

While most tracks are cover versions with new musical arrangements, Garrett composed three pieces.

“If it was for myself, I would just record music that I like. But it is important to have material that people recognise. It is a marketing thing. If they are all new, it will be difficult to get people’s attention. So it is a combination, or a compromise, you can say,” he said.

Of German-American parentage, Garrett was brought up in a classical music environment. His mother was a classical ballerina while his father was a lawyer.

“My brother learned the violin first at age seven but he didn’t like it.

“For me, I picked up the instrument which was lying around. I thought it was fun so I stuck with it. I was about five,” he said.

This child prodigy went on to become the youngest exclusive artiste with Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft, and had an international career at the age of 13.

At 10, he had his first public concert with the Hamburg Philharmonics under the direction of Gerd Albrecht.

In 1992, Garrett worked with the great Polish violinist Ida Haendel, who significantly influenced his artistic development.

“She was great. She taught me that it is most important to have your own sound and your own individual style. I think this is very true when it comes to music-making,” said Garrett.

At 18, he decided to move to New York, where he became one of the first students of Itzhak Perlman at Juilliard School. He graduated from his master class four years later. Today, he makes New York his base.

For a classical violinist who has engagements with orchestras around the world, Garrett admits he is actually influenced by the music around him and calls himself part of the MTV generation.

He is particularly fond of rock; Led Zeppelin is his favourite.

After this crossover album, what would his musical direction be in the future?

“I’ll try to keep them separate. There is the classical stuff and then there is the semi-classical, or collaboration thing. Those are two different things and they don’t have to clash.

“Doing this album gives me the chance to hang out with different kinds of people,” he said.

“I have a contract to do both the classical stuff as well as crossovers. It should be more interesting. If I had just stuck to the core classical stuff, it might not have the variety of what I want in my life. So I am very happy with the decision. It is the right timing to do it now.”

What does he have to say to the comparison to Beckham?

“I think I’m better looking," said Garrett, who has worked as a model in New York.

“Of course I don’t mean that seriously. It’s a compliment. He is a good footballer, very talented and he is good-looking.”

Contrary to the photo on the album cover that features him in a suit, Garrett greeted his audience at his showcase in casual attire — baseball cap, T-shirt and cut-out jeans!

He confessed he wrote a song in the album after breaking up with a girlfriend.

Is he a sentimental kind of guy?

“It is very human to be vulnerable,” he said. “But I usually get my inspiration when good stuff happens, like when you have a good day.”

Does he have any expectations for Free?

He answered nonchalantly. “No, I just wanted to do a good recording and that’s it. The main thing was to reach another audience and I think this is happening so I’m very happy with everything.”

So far he has travelled to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan and the response had been “very good”.

 

(source: Chow Ee-Tan , 2007/07/23, http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Features/20070723164750/Article/indexpull_html)

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July 22th 2007
Germany,
Mannheim, Castle Festival, Open Air,
"Last Night of the Mannheimer Schlosskonzerte"
Conductor: Russell N. Harris
Nürnberger Symphoniker

 

MANNHEIMER SCHLOSSFESTSPIELE

 

D6Der Deutsch-Amerikaner David Garrett hingegen war an diesem trockenen Sommerabend eher fürs Legato zuständig. Mit seiner wunderbar klingenden Geige hob er mit Pablo de Sarates "Zigeunerweisen" die gefühlten 17 Grad Celsius auf 25 an und schuf anschließend mit vielen schleifenden Tönen und Vittorio Montis "Csardas" subtropische Hörbedingungen. Musik fürs Herz, die der exzellente Geiger mit einem schelmischen Blick ins Publikum spielte.

Garrett ist für Spaßmacher Russel ein neuer Itzhak Perlman. Das kann man nachvollziehen.

 

(source: Stefan M. Dettlinger, Mannheimer Morgen, 24. Juli 2007, http://www.morgenweb.de/nachrichten/kultur/20070724_srv0000001130311.html )

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Regensburg, 08th July 2007

Eine Konzert- Party in Regensburg: "Last Night of the Thurn und Taxis Proms"

 

D7Vor ihr war schon der international gefragte deutsch- amerikanische Violinist David Garrett aufgetreten. Mit unglaublichem Gefühl streichelte der junge Mann sein Instrument und entlockte ihm vor allem bei Vittorio Montis "Csardas" Töne, die so zart waren, dass das Publikum unwillkürlich den Atem anhielt.

( source: Susanne Wolke, http://www.idowa.de/donau-post/nachricht/nachricht/nac/2121759/red/5.html )

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Abschluss der Festspiele in Regensburg mit „The Last Night Of The T & T-Proms“

 

Sarasates „Zigeunerweisen“ in zuckersüßer Wehmut, aber auch mit einem atemberaubenden Furioso gewirbelt, das ist die Kunst, mit der der Junggeiger David Garrett auch noch im „Csardas“ von Vittorio Monti begeisterte.

 

(source: Udo Schirmbeck, http://www.pnp.de/nachrichten/artikel.php?cid=29-16553091&Ressort=feu&Ausgabe=&RessLang=&Map=§(MAP)&Titel=§(TITEL)&BNR=0 )

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DAVID GARRETT, Violin Virtuoso

 

UK7David Garrett is only in his mid-twenties, but this German-born world-class violinist boosts a list of achievements that many of us can only look on in awe. At the tender age of four, little David picked up the violin and there's no looking back since. To date, David has performed countless classical concerts and played for the Popes, the princes, and the presidents. Word has it that the German president was so impressed by young David when he was 11 that he presented David one of the most sought after violins in the world -- a 1718 Stradivarius that's said to be worth 4 millions U.S. dollars.

Blessed with both good looks and talent, this violin virtuoso just released his debut album titled Free on Decca Records. Despite his imposing achievements, the jetlagged David was still all smiles when he dropped by the MTV Studios on Thursday (June 22). Want to find out more about David whom the Hong Kong press has termed "the Beckham of classical music?" Read on!

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Hello David! I heard you have been drinking Red Bull for the whole day.

Yes, I am going to continue that until I collapse on my bed! (Laughs) Tomorrow (Friday) is also like crazy, busy. It's not much of a relaxing kind of trip.

I'm sure you are used to it though.

You can never get used to it. Trust me. You do it because it's fun. But it's still work.

You picked up the violin at four years old. How did you know that the violin is the instrument for you?

You don't really know much when you are four. I didn't know, to be quite honest. Until I grew up and became much older and then I thought, "Yeah, I could do this."

But not much older right? By eight, you already had a management team behind you.

That wasn't necessarily done by me. That was more of my parents' influence and decision for me to go public. I didn't mind it. I think I didn't. It's all blurry, the past. (Laughs)

Do you still keep to your practice regime of seven hours a day?

It's not really possible most of the time now. You play, but there's not really like a possibility to do it seven hours a day. Like today, I don't even know if I want to practise seven hours.

How do you keep up normally?

I try to sneak it a few hours if it's not too bad. You can kind of sustain the momentum when you practise two or three hours. You can always go to a higher level. Technically speaking, I was really good when I was 15 or 16. That was really the top. Not to say that I'm playing worse now, but there's nothing much you can do, physically. Musically, yes. You have to have a good instinct when you were a kid in order to play very well. But the older you get, the better you refine these things and be more musical through the process.

The Hong Kong press has called you "the Beckham of classical music." Do you like the accolade?

I don't know where that came from!

Is it the hair?

Maybe the hair, I don't know. It's a great compliment. He's a good looking guy and I see it as something positive. You got to have something to make people take an interest in you. You can be the most phenomenal player, but if you don't have something that gets you out of the bunch, then it's sometimes difficult to establish a career. So it's good thing. I can live with it! (Laughs)

Do you think image is important, especially for classical musicians in today's superficial world?

Image helps create something that doesn't necessary have to do with what your music or your art. But it does give you something more, which makes it interesting for marketing purposes. I don't want to say it's a business, but when you really want to succeed and you really want to break through and make people listen, you have to do whatever it takes. In the end, I don't mind it at all, as long as I can play for people and reach young people as well. It's good by me!

And because of your good looks, you also dabbled in modeling when you were studying at Juilliard.

I haven't really done that in two years! It's quite time consuming! You have to go for castings all day and some you get and some you don't. It's a lot of work. People underestimate what models actually do in that business, and you always have to make sure you keep up. I'm not going to say it's tough but it's not easy!

Do you plan to go back?

No! I'm done with that. I have enough friends from the industry now. It's good. It was a necessity for that time period but now I'm moving on.

I read that you got expelled from the Royal College of Music in London for non-attendance and break-ins!

Yeah I was! (Laughs) But it's not really a non-attendance thing. I actually got caught breaking in the practice room. I was living in an apartment then and my neighbors were always complaining about me practising. And I did have a couple of concerts coming up and I couldn't practise past 7pm in my apartment. So I had to come up with a possible way to practise at school. There were a couple of practice rooms which were meant for the teachers and obviously, you need to have a key for it. But it's kind of easy to push the credit card in and open the door easily. A few of my friends actually did the same thing but I got caught!

Do you listen to other music apart from classical?

You know, I practise about a few hours everyday if I can do it and I don't really listen to classical music at all because I'm already listening to classical music three or four hours a day when I'm practising. The rest of the time I try not to, just to keep my ears fresh.

So what kind of music do you listen to then?

I got into Muse and the White Stripes! But they are not really doing anything, are they?

The White Stripes just have a new album called Icky Thump out!

Do they? I don't know about that! You see, I've been traveling and nobody tells me these things! I have to get it! (Laughs) I just like rock in general -- independent rock and also some R&B.

The German President got you a 1718 Stradivarius violin when you were 11 and it's said to be worth 4 million U.S. dollars! Do you bring it along everywhere you perform?

I try to carry it everywhere. I'm a pretty tough guy and I can defend myself. Worse come to worse, I will fight for it! It's a natural thing for me. I won't go to any country and perform with anything second-grade. I always have to bring something good.

The Washington Post recently did an experiment with another world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell whereby he was busking incognito in a subway and only a few paid any attention to him. So what's your take on the result of the experiment?

It would have been the same with all kinds of genre. You put a good guitarist or a good singer and people don't necessarily realize it if it's not presented the right way. It's a natural thing and it doesn't necessarily have to do with classical music. If you put a first class rock guitarist there, people wouldn't have paid attention too. It's just the environment. Plus, it was done at a place where people shuffle to work. I would be one of the passer-bys and have my music on and would not have paid any attention to what's happening around me. It's not an insult to the artist. But if you don't put a spotlight on and give it a right environment to be presented, it's harder to recognize it.

How approachable do you think classical music is to the everyday man, as compared to people with higher income earnings?

That is something that I'm really upset about most of the time. A lot of classical concerts are priced very high. On top of that, it's an environment where young people don't feel the most at home with. So this combination is fatal for young kids. I'm really trying to go away from the traditional concerts halls, if there's a possibility. I personally prefer to perform somewhere more chilled, where it's a lounge or something. First of all, music is there for people to enjoy it. And if you want to have young kids, you have to bring them into a place where they enjoy it. It's not going to be any fun for them in a concert hall, especially when they have to pay so much money for it.

How do you think talent and musicianship can be measured in your opinion?

I always say talent is a combination between instinct and work. You can have a lot of talent and a lot of instinct, but if you don't put the work in, it's not going to get you very far. When we talk about first class musicianship, you have to put the effort in and study for a few years and work really hard, and still continue to study for the rest of your whole life. It's not something you do and then you have it. It's something you have to do every day and you have to wake up and just live it. That's the only way to do it.

(source: Lennat Mak, 22thJune 2007, http://www.mtvasia.com/Feature/Entertainment/20070622000498/index.html

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David Garrett: «Col violino sposo Paganini e i Metallica»

 

I5 (...) Il 27enne tedesco-americano David Garrett è un violinista extraordinaire. (...)

«Tutti considerano la musica classica intellettuale e colta; è vero ma per me è un dramma - racconta Garrett - io voglio avvicinarla ai giovani trasformando in classici brani dei Metallica come Nothing Else Matters». (...) io so cosa sia l’isolamento. Ho iniziato a suonare il violino a quattro anni e avevo contatti solo col maestro, con mia madre ballerina d’opera e papà, severo avvocato. Quando sono andato al liceo mi sono sentito un Ufo.Lì ho scoperto i Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, mi si sono aperti nuovi mondi». Quindi folgorato dal rock... «Dalla sua forza emotiva e dalla sua immagine. Ma io ho continuato per la mia strada. Mi sono trasferito a New York, iscritto alla Juilliard School of Music e ho studiato con Pearlman. Da lui, che è il più grande, ho imparato che la buona musica non ha confini. Pearlman ha vinto un Grammy con Barenboim suonando Brahms, ha suonato jazz con Oscar Peterson e scritto le musiche di Schindler’s List. Io vorrei fare lo stesso percorso, diffondendo la cultura classica. Vorrei proiettare Paganini nel futuro».

Si dice che parteciperà al Festivalbar, una mossa un po’ ardita. «Al 99 per cento ci sarò, e sarà un’occasione unica per avvicinarmi a una valanga di gente, diversa da quella delle sale da concerto». Non è che tutto questo successo deriva anche dal suo fascino, in fondo lei ha fatto il modello. «Sì, per divertimento e senza prendermi troppo sul serio, ho lavorato per Armani per capire com’era la vita. Ora voglio essere un artista moderno, che sperimenta nuove strade senza abbandonare la tradizone classica. Per questo sto già componendo nuovi brani “seri”».

 

F3 David Garrett,(...) est un violoniste extra-ordinaire. (...)

“ Tout le monde considère la musique classique intellectuelle et culturelle; c’est vrai mais pour moi, c’est un drame - raconte Garrett - Je veux la rapprocher des jeunes en transposant les classiques airs de Metallica comme Nothing Else Matters”, ( ...) Je sais ce que c’est que l’isolement. J’ai commencé à joer le violon à quatre ans et je n’avais de contact qu’avec mon professeur, ma mère danseuse d’opera et papa, sévère avocat. Quand je suis allé au licée, je me suis senti comme un “barjo”. Là, j’ai découvert les Led zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, de nouveaux mondes s’ouvraient à moi.”. Et puis, j’ai eu un coup de foudre pour le rock... “pour sa force émotive et son image. Mais j’ai continué ma route. J’ai déménagé à New York, je me suis inscrit à la Juilliard School et j’ai étudié avec Pearlman. De lui, qui est le plus grand, J’ai appris que la bonne musique n’a pas de frontières. Pearlman a gagné un Grammy avec Barenboim en jouant Brahms, il a joué du jazz avec Oscar Peterson et écrit les musiques de “la Liste de Schindler”. Je voudrais faire le même parcours, en diffusant la culture classique. Je voudrais projeter Paganini dans le futur”.

On dit qu’il participera au Festivalbar, une initiative un peu hardie. “ A 99 pourcent, j’y serai, et ce sera l’occasion unique pour me rapprocher d’une foule de gens différents de ceux des salles de concert”. Pourrait-on dire que tout ce succès dérive aussi de son charme, au fond, il a été mannequin. “Oui, pour m’amuser et sans me prendre trop au sérieux, j’ai travaillé pour Armani pour comprendre comment était la vie. Maintenant, je veux être un artiste moderne, qui expérimente des nouvelles voies sans abandonner la tradition classique; C’est pour cela que je suis déjà en train de composer de nouveaux airs “sérieux”.

(Fonte: Antonio Lodetti, 18 giugno 2007, http://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=186566)

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Free (Decca Classics)

UK8 David Garrett was a child prodigy. At 13, he was the youngest artist to have recorded for the prestigious classical recording company Deutsche Gramophon. In the next four years, the violin virtuoso recorded four albums, his last being the Tchaikovsky and Conus concertos with no less than Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra.

Eight years later, Garrett has recorded again. He’s being marketed as classical music’s David Beckham, and it’s not hard to see how his good looks could lead to those comparisons. But this album, like the Englishman’s fashion sense, comes perilously close to crossing the line between fluff and cheesy froth. Paying lip service to classical composers, he ditches their originals for his own versions.

For instance, his ‘Carmen Fantasie’, loosely based on Sarasate’s own composition with the same title, is here in flamenco style; his take on Monti’s ‘Czardas’ – for guitar, accordion, piano and cello – is ‘freshened up’ to make it sound contemporary. What you get is something more at home in a chill-out bar than a concert hall, and maybe it’s meant to be that way. But what’s original about taking a well-loved tune and adding beats to it? The tracks that fare best are the ones left mostly as-is and treated with more respect for the original material, such as ‘Somewhere’ from West Side Story.

If he was just a minor talent discovered by a record company, Free would be harmless. But when it’s Garrett, capitalising on his pretty-boy looks rather than obvious talent, it isn’t merely a waste, it’s a sin.

 

(source: Derek Lim, http://www.timeout.com/sg/en/music/feature/david-garrett)

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Íntegra da entrevista com David Garrett

 

BR O rapaz da foto é o clássico partidão. Literalmente. Entenda o caso: louro, 1,85 m, amante tanto dos bons concertos quanto das baladas, gosta de desfiles de moda, preocupa-se com a saúde, é bem-humorado e ainda toca um Stradivarius. Agora, a cereja: mora sozinho num dos cenários mais descolados de Nova York, o Hell's Kitchen. Alemão de 27 anos, David Garrett vem ao país tocar com a Orquestra Petrobras Sinfônica o "Concerto nº 1 para violino e orquestra, em ré maior, opus 19", de Sergei Prokofiev. O concerto acontece dia 13, no Municipal do Rio, a preços populares. Garrett, que acabou de lançar o sexto disco, "Free", falou à Marie Claire.

Por que tocar violino e não guitarra?

A verdade é que meu irmão _dois anos mais velho_ estava começando a aprender violino e eu quis imitá-lo. A princípio foi apenas isso, eu achava até meio chato. Mas logo depois, e estou falando de quando eu tinha seis, sete anos _eu me apaixonei inteiramente pela música. Nunca fiquei em dúvida sobre o que queria fazer da vida.

Acredita que ser bonito chama mais atenção para a música que faz?

Oh, Deus! (ri) Eu trabalho todos os dias da minha vida, vivo em Nova York e não penso muito nisso. Essa questão da aparência é secundária. Não é uma preocupação minha, é uma questão de marketing.

Sentiu preconceito no ambiente conservador da música clássica por ser um homem bonito, e que se veste de forma despojada?

Nunca. Acho que é muito importante para um público novo, jovem, que haja uma identificação e nesse caso a atitude e a aparência contam. Mas em relação aos músicos, regentes, nenhum tipo de preconceito.

Você toca um valioso violino Stradivarius. Que tipo de cuidados tem com ele? E pratica diariamente?

Estudo umas três horas por dia, às vezes mais, quando mergulho numa peça nova. Não tomo nenhum cuidado especial com meu violino, a não ser os básicos: bons arcos, manter na caixa.

Conhece música brasileira, desde a clássica até samba?

Incrivelmente não conheço a música clássica brasileira. Mas adoro a música popular brasileira e sul-americana em geral. Especialmente o samba e o tango, que adoro dançar.

O que pensa sobre o povo brasileiro?

Bom, estive no Rio e em São Paulo. O Rio é embriagante, uma beleza esmagadora, com gente relaxada e divertida. São Paulo é uma metrópole extraordinária, parece muito com Nova York, tem aquela noção de profissionalismo e uma noite poderosa. Não consegui ainda tirar férias no Brasil, mas um dia vou conseguir.

Está solteiro? Pensa em ter filhos?

Estou solteiro, sim. Filhos? Não me vejo como pai, pelo menos por enquanto. Viajo demais, sou muito negligente.

Se eu quisesse esbarrar com você, para onde iria?

Bem, eu vou muito a bons clubes. Estou na fase de ir ao Bungalow 8 [um dos mais badalados de Nova York, freqüentado por celebridades do primeiro time]. É lá que alguém pode me encontrar, se conseguir passar pela hostess. É um lugar que seleciona muito os freqüentadores.

Você cuida da fina estampa? É ligado em moda?

Eu só me preocupo com a minha saúde. Corro três vezes por semana, e nada mais. Sobre o mundo da moda, eu posso dizer que adoro freqüentar os desfiles. Nos últimos dois anos a minha agenda musical apertou demais mas eu tento dar uma olhada sempre que posso.

Que músicas uma mulher precisa ter no iPod para atrair sua atenção?

A minha que eu toco [rindo muito]. Falando sério: tem de gostar de música em geral, ter uma mente e um coração abertos para qualquer gênero. Mas se conhecer um pouquinho do repertório de violino e também gostar de dançar, já ganhou muitos pontos.

 

(source: João Luiz Vieira, http://revistamarieclaire.globo.com/EditoraGlobo/componentes/article/edg_article_print/1,3916,1638203-1731-1,00.html)

 

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