Soundpost: Letters to the Editor October 2020

GREAT MINDS

It was fascinating to read Tully Potter’s obituary of Ida Haendel in the September issue, but I was more struck by Tasmin Little’s thoughts on the Brahms Violin Concerto (Sentimental Work) - which I recalled was also chosen by Ms Haendel back in 2015, in one of the last interviews with her I read. Both Little and Haendel began to study the concerto ‘seriously’ when they were 19-20 (though Haendel had already been performing it from an early age), and both had similar reactions to the second movement: it ‘has a lovely opening that allows you just to revel in the music,’ says Little, while Haendel comments that it ‘is so romantic, it brings tears to my eyes every time I play it. If you can’t bring out the emotion in this music, you should not be playing Brahms at all.’