I had so many things I wanted to write about in here...but I'm in the middle of a massive marathon of homework catch-up (expected, I suppose, at 9pm on a Sunday night), and this is all I can manage for now.
From an article written by violinist Arnold Steinhardt about his teacher Joseph Szigeti:
How seriously Szigeti took our lessons was evidenced by his greetings as we arrived for our lessons each day, such as "I have been thinking about your phrasing in the Bartok Rhapsody, Arnold, and want to advise a new tack" or "Oswald, I could not sleep all night as a result of the fingering you took in the Brahms concerto." ...There were often rustlings outside my window while I practiced, and later came comments during my lessons about things I had not yet played for him. Finally I saw him under my window in the shadows during a break in my work on Paganini's 24th Caprice. Realizing that he had been spotted, he stepped into the light, and without apology, spoke his mind: "Arnold, try a more reasonable bowing in the first variation!"
HAHAHAHA. And:
He had always been a letter writer, and I was privileged to receive them from time to time informing me of his work and keeping tabs on me as well. For example on July 25, 1963, he wrote in part: "Dear Arnold, Your Mozart A Major Concerto was broadcast by Brussels and I was very happy about your stylish playing! The fermata after the initial Adagio was a little short and I found there was too little caesura before the second theme and the cadenza seemed a little affected (like some parts of your Havanaise!), Cadenza 2nd movement a little too gypsy-like and in alla Turca not enough appoggiatura and end of III mov. Too much Ritard. But the whole was a proud performance."
Hahahahaha...I laughed a lot when I read that. How cute.
