.
An italian violinis, now the concertmaster at National Symphony Orchestra in Lyon, France.
I think a great deal about him, especially
in the month of November. How shall I describe my first encounter with
Philippe?
Perhaps "special" is the word best suited
to describe it, since it may be understood in several senses.
For example my first impression of him was
‘bizarre.’ He seemed strange to me, somewhat mad, turning all his lessons into
a session of psychoanalysis by seeking and sometimes going very far to find a
sense in everything one does.
After completely throwing us off balance, what
he gave us seemed exceptional: depth of musicality, variety and refinement of
technical solutions which always aimed at providing a maximum of
expressiveness.
For me, this encounter was certainly
unique. Under his direction, I saw the violin transformed from a simple musical
instrument into a direct link to the soul.
Philippe was someone extremely demanding,
who accepted no compromises.
For him, music was not something
comfortable. Bringing it to life bore great risk,
carrying us always to the brink of catastrophe, of an abyss. But it was exactly
that which renders it so moving, exciting, great.
Thank you, Philippe, for having pointed out to me the way and shown me how music can be brilliant.