Violinist Tetzlaff brings rich music of Bach to life

By Jim Schiff

Daily Arts Writer

The University Musical Society welcomes world-famous German violinist Christian Tetzlaff to Ann Arbor this Sunday. At age 32, he has emerged as one of the most accomplished and internationally recognized violinists in the last ten years.

Tetzlaff's performance marks the second UMS concert commemorating the 250th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach. In particular, he will be playing "Partita No. 2 in D. minor," "Sonata No. 3 in C Major," and "Sonata No. 2 in A minor," all composed in 1720. On Bach, Tetzlaff said, "His music touches me profoundly. It has an easy way to my heart and a lot of people's hearts."

Born in Hamburg in 1966, Tetzlaff started playing violin at an early age. At 14 he made his concert debut with a Hamburg youth orchestra, performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Four years later, as the youngest competitor, he won the International Competition ARD in Munich. Additionally, he has studied at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under Walter Levine.

With a performance of Schoenberg's violin concert with the Munich Philharmonic, Tetzlaff was catapulted to international fame. He has garnered a reputation for selecting difficult and less-frequently played pieces of music by Schumann and Bartók. Tetzlaff said, "I like to play all the good violin music there is - even if people don't normally listen to some of the composers."

As a soloist, Tetzlaff's remarkable ability has allowed him to collaborate with artists such as Sabine Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma. Conductors from all over the world invite him to play with their symphonies. Over the years, he has gained a considerable audience. "I get a good feeling playing as a soloist," Tetzlaff said. "I love that I can do interesting things and still get people to listen."

With eight albums for Virgin Classics, Tetzlaff is equally successful as a recording artist. The New York Times described his 1995 recording of Bach's complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, "an altogether breathtaking release." His most recent recording features Mozart's complete works for violin and orchestra.

Armed with his trusty violin, Christian Tetzlaff is known to play with an intense passion that is rivaled by few. As in the past, he is sure to dazzle the audience with his astounding talent, bringing the works of Bach to life.