Igor Oistrakh obituary theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
2021-04-21T08:40:00
In this interview, first published in The Strad’s March 1999 edition, the crossover violinist hits back at snobbery in the classical music world
Nigel Kennedy would stand out in most places even in New York, but in this particular hotel, populated mostly by mid-town Manhattan business types, his spiked, two-toned, Mohawk hairstyle lights up the room like neon. As we head to a table in the bar, he samples food along the buffet, the twinkle in his eye no doubt harbouring some boyish excuse in case someone tries to stop him.
That combination of impulsiveness and good excuses helps explain where Kennedy is today. Five years ago, before his self-imposed sabbatical from the classical-music world, the violinist had climbed both peaks of classical Kilimanjaro, his best-selling recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons balanced by the most artistic performance of the Elgar Violin Concerto recorded in recent memory. Though he was still in demand as a soloist, Ken
HOW sad Malvern looks after dark. Walking back to the car park in Edith Walk after the theatre it struck me how miserable the place looks now the dark nights are here. Few shops have any lights on at all and Church Walk is positively dangerous. Were it not for the estate agents and Italian restaurant the place would be as black as the ace of spades. Negotiating the steps at the end of the passage would be difficult to say the least for anyone slightly infirm, and the place is a muggers’ paradise. Surely the owners of Church Walk can afford a few lights – they are there, just not switched on!