Carl Flesch`s violin scales to be available to Armenian professional  music community

ArmInfo.  Following the release of "The Art of Violin Playing" by the Austro-German violinist and music educator Carl Flesch, his violin scales will also be  available to the Armenian professional music community. This was  announced by Eduard Topchyan, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director  of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, during a press  conference dedicated to the Armenian-language publication of Carl  Flesch's manual "The Art of Violin Playing."

Noting the historical significance of the Austro-German teacher in  music, Topchyan shared his memories of the period when he taught  violin using Carl Flesch's scales. "I am very familiar with his  scales. Many years ago, I played them myself and felt their benefit.  I had several talented students, including my wife, Anush  Nikoghosyan. All of these musicians became outstanding violinists.  Every day during class, they studied and played Carl Flesch's scales  in detail. "For us, it was like the Bible-lessons always began with  it. The results were simply phenomenal," the conductor shared.

Regarding the Armenian translation of "The Art of Violin Playing,"  Topchyan noted that this manual has received high praise from  experts, including German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who wrote the  foreword.

The Armenian translation was published under a licensing agreement  with the Berlin publishing house Ries and Erler. The translator from  German to Armenian and editor-in-chief is violinist and professor at  the Detmold Conservatory, Aram Badalyan. The editors of the German  edition were Maximilian Simon and Nadine Contini.

This groundbreaking project was implemented by the Primavera  Foundation of Armenia in collaboration with the Armenian National  Philharmonic Orchestra, with financial support from the Amaryan  Charitable Foundation. Primavera Foundation co-founder Elena  Yakovleva noted that the book has been published in a limited print  run of 300 copies. However, under a license with a German publisher,  a total of 200 more textbooks will be published, if needed.

"This book is not available for purchase anywhere. It can only be  obtained free of charge by professional teachers and musicians by  contacting us.

In this eight-month project, something could have gone wrong - we  might not have had a translator fluent in three languages and a  professorial status in Germany; we might not have been able to reach  an agreement with a publisher willing to complete the translation on  time and as required; we might not have found the funding to complete  the project; we might not have been able to confirm the academic  suitability of this publication at the Komitas Conservatory. This is  a confidential process involving more than 20 specialists," she said.

Aram Badalyan, in turn, noted that the most difficult choice when  working on the translation was between conveying the beauty of the  German language and clarity of presentation. In the Armenian version,  he struck a balance between ensuring the text was elegant and yet  practical and accessible to modern readers.  "When I received Elena  Yakovleva's offer to translate this book, I was very excited by the  idea and immediately agreed. Of course, I didn't realize the full  scope of the work at the time-in the end, I spent sleepless months  translating it. It's probably the most challenging work I've ever  undertaken-but at the same time, it brings tremendous pleasure," he  noted. The violinist also explained that after the 2020 war, he and  his colleagues decided to support their historical homeland in every  way possible, providing assistance to the best of their professional  abilities. Consequently, Yakovleva's offer was more than appropriate,  as it perfectly aligned with his vision and mission.

Maximilian Simon emphasized that his connection with Armenia is  particularly important to him. "As the head of the violin department  at the Primavera Foundation, I traveled extensively to music schools  in Armenia to conduct master classes, and I realized that there was a  lack of information everywhere-a single work that specialists could  rely on. In this sense, the Armenian translation of Carl Flesch's  book was the best solution: it is one of the most authoritative  teaching methods of all time," he noted.

Lena Gulkhasyan, Public Relations Officer for the Amaryan Charitable  Foundation, explained that when selecting projects, the Foundation is  guided by the need for them to have a long-term, lasting impact on  the development of Armenian culture, education, youth, and sports.  "And this program was consistent with our principles. We are proud to  see the results and are confident that the book will serve its  purpose for decades to come," she said.

During the press conference, it was also noted that, with the support  of the Amaryan Foundation, 

Maximilian Simon will conduct master classes for young Armenian  violinists. The publication of the "Art of Violin Playing" manual  will be celebrated with a gala concert on December 24 at 7:00 PM in  the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall. The soloists will be the editor  of the new German edition of the book and the translator of the  Armenian edition, violinists Maximilian Simon and Aram Badalyan. The  program will feature violin concertos by Eduard Korngold and Mstislav  Bruch, as well as the overture to Glinka's opera "Ruslan and  Lyudmila," performed by the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra  under the direction of Eduard Topchyan.