Knoxville Symphony Orchestra — Masterworks Series — Beethoven’s “Pastoral”
Aram Demirjian, conductor — Stefan Jackiw, violin
Anna Clyne: Pivot
Max Bruch: Scottish Fantasy
Beethoven: Symphony No.6 (“Pastoral”)
Thursday and Friday, October 19 and 20, 7:30 PM
Tennessee Theatre — Tickets and Information
Stefan Jackiw and the Bow Break Seen Round the World
Violinist Stefan Jackiw is not only recognized as one of the greatest living violinists of the day. He’s also become a bit of a YouTube and Instagram sensation – not an easy feat for a classical musician. You see, while performing Reinhold Gliere’s Violin Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra last May, his bow broke. Yes, his $30,000 François Nicolas Voirin bow! And because the performance was being filmed, it’s now a moment we can all behold – over and over and over again.
Why, you might ask, would we want to watch such a cataclysmic moment in a live performance? Why would we find fascination in an artist’s personal misery? Why would we knowingly witness a performer’s worst nightmare?
Well, because when the fateful moment occurred, Jackiw didn’t seem the least bit rattled. At first, he looked slightly bemused. Then, as orchestral protocol dictates, he quickly exchanged his bow with that of the orchestra’s Concertmaster. Seconds later, in a twist of musical irony, he resumed playing fiendishly devilish “broken octaves.”
When we watch this clip – as many of us have done repeatedly – it is a lesson in composure, artistry, and showmanship that is unparalleled. For many, it is a brilliant and stunning display of calm while planted dead-center in the eye of a storm. And, lest you think a bow break is no big deal, please remember, a violinist’s bow is an extension of his arm. And while I’m sure the replacement bow was a fine one, it was also melded to the hand of its rightful owner. It was not the appendage Jackiw knew, literally, like the back of his hand. Rather, it was an artificial replacement, set in tautness for the personal preferences of another player.
While we wouldn’t dare hope for a bow break during Jackiw’s performances with the Knoxville Symphony on October 19 -20 (or would we?), we can expect to see a world-class violinist who has proven his mettle under fire. Here’s a guy who was clearly awake in performance class the day they taught “the show must go on.” And if he missed a beat, well, it was only one.
