Alexander Winkler Plays His Way Back to the Roots of Classical Music |
Classical music should not be too strict, says Alexander Winkler
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://sn.dk/modules/fsArticle/?articleid=1424221
Ringsted - 30th of March 2021 14:30
Af Alexander de Summer-Brason Welford
Ringsted - 30th of March 2021 14:30
Af Alexander de Summer-Brason Welford
As a 13-year-old, Alexander Winkler wanted a violin as a birthday present. He had been playing the piano for a little over three years, but it had begun to become boring. He then got his birthday gift wish fulfilled on a holiday in Florence, and all the way up to today, ever since the violin has been a firm companion for 15-year-olds Alexander, who has been on a bit of a formation journey back to the roots of classical music.
- I have had a teacher on this side of the summer, but when I started playing the violin as a 13 year old, it was actually without a teacher because I would rather not end up in this education system that is more about rules than about music. All of these rules can make music boring to people, and that was not the case either traditionally in classical music. Classical music arose much more freely,
and I would like to return to that, he explains to DAGBLADET, who has taken one talk to the young musician who goes to 9th grade in Roskilde on a daily basis.
Finding the balance
Alexander instead immersed himself in a lot of books on violin techniques and from here also began to take an interest in the construction of violins, which became a bit of a turning point for the young musician.
- I then discovered this market for antique violins, where I found one on Ebay, it looked fine but it needed some work. I bought it then and took it in to a violin builder who restored it. When it was done, I got to know that it was a rather valuable French violin for 25,000 kroner from the beginning of the 19th century. Then I started researching it further and here I found out of the fact that there was almost an entire science behind price assessment of violins, sound, quality and so on, he says. The evening before his debut concert in Roskilde Cathedral back at the end of 2019 he decided to investigate the relationship between sound and price further, then the balance according to Alexander was somewhat uneven.
- In my opinion, the violin market was somewhat inflated in relation to price and sound quality, so I found a program that could analyze the sound and quality of violins and thus find a better balance between price and quality in sound. That I then wrote a report about which I submitted to a competition for young researchers, I ended up winning the grand prize, he says and continues:
- My project went well with my view that classical music should not be too strict. I would like to return to the traditions. In Bachs and Mozart's time pepole would occasionally clap inbetween the pieces, for example, and you do not do that today, and that, I think, is a pity. I would like to bring more fredom back to classical music again.
Present narrative
Alexander then spent the prize money from the research competition on buying a violin. In that connection, he inquired a lot with a lot of violin makers for advice and tips that opened new doors for the budding musical talent.
- Many of these violin builders are truly a gathering place for classical musicians where I have had the opportunity to talk to many of them and it has inspired me. From there, I then tried out a lot of different things compared to my concerts. For example, I'm working on a major recording project, where I go out to some of the country's finest cultural institutions to record. Among other things, I have recorded at Selsø Castle in Hornsherred. The next stop is Sorø Monastery church in two weeks. Sometimes I also have online live concerts, says
Alexander Winkler. With his concerts, he wants to tell relevant stories to his audience.
- I'm trying to come up with some stories for the pieces I play, so you see as the audience can understand the context better. Typically for classical concerts go one just started playing. I try to make the music more present by giving the story behind the music so the audience can become more committed to what they hear, Alexander explains and gives an example:
- For the online concert last Saturday, for example, I played Vivaldis' The Four seasons and there is a very interesting story behind it. Vivaldi lived in Venice, but he then went out to Tuscany, where he came across a lot of Italian poems about nature, which he then tried to translate into music by 'The Four Seasons'. That ended up, as you know, becoming a huge success. That story told I, where I explained that in one of the poems it is described how the water runs down the river and how to hear it in the music. For me it is joy of life, and I would like to pass that on to my audience.
High school awaites
What the future and music bring for 15-year-old Alexander Winkler, he knows does not. However, he knows for sure that he will have to start high school after summer and that he will continue to give concerts. You can stay up to date on Alexander's musical work via his Youtube Channel, which is called 'Alexander Winkler'.
- I have had a teacher on this side of the summer, but when I started playing the violin as a 13 year old, it was actually without a teacher because I would rather not end up in this education system that is more about rules than about music. All of these rules can make music boring to people, and that was not the case either traditionally in classical music. Classical music arose much more freely,
and I would like to return to that, he explains to DAGBLADET, who has taken one talk to the young musician who goes to 9th grade in Roskilde on a daily basis.
Finding the balance
Alexander instead immersed himself in a lot of books on violin techniques and from here also began to take an interest in the construction of violins, which became a bit of a turning point for the young musician.
- I then discovered this market for antique violins, where I found one on Ebay, it looked fine but it needed some work. I bought it then and took it in to a violin builder who restored it. When it was done, I got to know that it was a rather valuable French violin for 25,000 kroner from the beginning of the 19th century. Then I started researching it further and here I found out of the fact that there was almost an entire science behind price assessment of violins, sound, quality and so on, he says. The evening before his debut concert in Roskilde Cathedral back at the end of 2019 he decided to investigate the relationship between sound and price further, then the balance according to Alexander was somewhat uneven.
- In my opinion, the violin market was somewhat inflated in relation to price and sound quality, so I found a program that could analyze the sound and quality of violins and thus find a better balance between price and quality in sound. That I then wrote a report about which I submitted to a competition for young researchers, I ended up winning the grand prize, he says and continues:
- My project went well with my view that classical music should not be too strict. I would like to return to the traditions. In Bachs and Mozart's time pepole would occasionally clap inbetween the pieces, for example, and you do not do that today, and that, I think, is a pity. I would like to bring more fredom back to classical music again.
Present narrative
Alexander then spent the prize money from the research competition on buying a violin. In that connection, he inquired a lot with a lot of violin makers for advice and tips that opened new doors for the budding musical talent.
- Many of these violin builders are truly a gathering place for classical musicians where I have had the opportunity to talk to many of them and it has inspired me. From there, I then tried out a lot of different things compared to my concerts. For example, I'm working on a major recording project, where I go out to some of the country's finest cultural institutions to record. Among other things, I have recorded at Selsø Castle in Hornsherred. The next stop is Sorø Monastery church in two weeks. Sometimes I also have online live concerts, says
Alexander Winkler. With his concerts, he wants to tell relevant stories to his audience.
- I'm trying to come up with some stories for the pieces I play, so you see as the audience can understand the context better. Typically for classical concerts go one just started playing. I try to make the music more present by giving the story behind the music so the audience can become more committed to what they hear, Alexander explains and gives an example:
- For the online concert last Saturday, for example, I played Vivaldis' The Four seasons and there is a very interesting story behind it. Vivaldi lived in Venice, but he then went out to Tuscany, where he came across a lot of Italian poems about nature, which he then tried to translate into music by 'The Four Seasons'. That ended up, as you know, becoming a huge success. That story told I, where I explained that in one of the poems it is described how the water runs down the river and how to hear it in the music. For me it is joy of life, and I would like to pass that on to my audience.
High school awaites
What the future and music bring for 15-year-old Alexander Winkler, he knows does not. However, he knows for sure that he will have to start high school after summer and that he will continue to give concerts. You can stay up to date on Alexander's musical work via his Youtube Channel, which is called 'Alexander Winkler'.