Israeli violinist takes musical responsibilities seriously

By WILLIAM DART

Violinist Shlomo Mintz is not looking forward to coming to New Zealand - well, he's not looking forward to the trip itself, one of his pet hates being crowded aeroplanes. A new audience in a new town makes it all worthwhile.

"Why else would I travel so far?" he says, wryly. "Why would I travel at all when you can send recordings over email these days? Because there is the chance to communicate and create positive energies - that is what it's all about."

Mintz's first big trip was from Russia to Israel in 1959. In his new homeland, the 2-year-old boy learned the piano and then the violin. By the age of 11, Zubin Mehta had pulled him up in front of the Israel Philharmonic for a Paganini concert and five years later he was on the stage at Carnegie Hall.

While these legendary performances exist only in the memories of those who were at the concerts, Mintz's artistry can still be enjoyed in a video of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, courtesy of Oregon's Huberman Festival, where he shares solo duties with Pinchas Zukerman, Isaac Stern and Yitzhak Perlman.

It is the violinist's Deutsche Grammophon recordings from the 80s that have made his name in this part of the world, especially his explosive Paganini Caprices and one of the freshest accounts of the Prokofiev Concertos on disc. He hasn't been coaxed into the studio lately and finds the crisis in the industry "to be expected".

"I think the whole recording industry will have to go through a big re-assessment process before it is again of benefit to society, because it has been overused like just about every other industry, including the big classical music industry."

Not surprisingly for a pupil of Stern, Mintz has fervent beliefs on musicians' political and sociological responsibilities.

"We need to be more aware of the power of our art than ever. Communication through music can help to eliminate fright and suspicion between people and, although each subject needs to be directly confronted, music helps to build bridges among nations. It has always been that way, even from the Old Testament when David played the harp for King Saul."

Communication is a big issue with this man, and proves to be the payoff for all those irksome hours in airline cabins.

Above all he enjoys "the intellectual curiosity that comes from different audiences. "After many years of being on stage, you develop some kind of dialogue with the audience and sometimes you can figure out what mood they are in without playing one note. Occasionally performances will change because of that.

"Audiences don't just go out to listen to another performance. There is always the hope that their mood will be changed and they will be intellectually and emotionally enlightened."

Tomorrow night, the centrepiece of the concert is Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Could he remember how many times he has played it? Is there any danger of staleness creeping in? "It's never the same because you are never the same and you never have exactly the same chemistry with the piece," assures Mintz. "Otherwise you would be a robot. I very much believe in vive la difference between the robots and the humans.

"With all respect, robots are good workers and can be of great benefit to society, but they will not feel and communicate with human beings."

Mintz is cagey when asked about those who have gone before. With some reluctance he names Yehudi Menuhin, David Oistrakh and his teacher, Stern. With Stern he becomes more specific. He likes the American's "grand approach" to Beethoven. "It's the same with the Brahms concerto. Stern is willing to stand up and say, 'I'm here', which is what makes it work."

* Who: Shlomo Mintz, with the Auckland Philharmonia

* Where: Auckland Town Hall

* When: Tomorrow, 8pm