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A Symphony of the West and East

Hello hello! Today we're writing about one of the most celebrated violinist in the history of classical music, Yehudi Menuhin! Though American, most of his career was based in Britain. He's revered all over the world and his album 'west meets east' is a wonderful collection of pieces made in collaboration with Ravi Shankar, the Indian composer.



Yehudi Menuhin was born in New York City in the year 1916. Deemed a child prodigy at violin playing, his first public performance was at the age of 7. The family moved to Europe in 1926. After a few performances at Paris, Menuhin started learning under Enesco in Paris and Romania. In the year 1928 (age 12), he was on his very first US tour, while simultaneously recording for Victor(an American record company). In the next year, Menuhin performed in Berlin and London and started lessons with Adolf Busch. He was gifted a Stradivarius violin (one of the best violins) by Henry Goldman. After these events, Menuhin performed for a long time in London, with the London Symphony Orchestra, and occasionally with his sister Hephzibah (pianist).


In 1935, he went on a world tour across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Europe, followed by an 18 month sabbatical in California.

In 1939, as the war started in Europe, Menuhin toured south America for the first time. He played for the troops when US entered the war, as he did at Alaska, the Aleutian lands, Hawaii and many other places that were part of the allied troops.

After the war, he played at the inaugural ceremony of the UNO and for the survivors of the concentration camps at Belsen in 1945. In the next five years, he visits Moscow, Israel, Japan and even India, all while continuously recording pieces by Elgar, Bartok, Beethoven and Walton.



Visiting India was a huge change in his life, as he learnt yoga as well as the Indian composing and performing style.

West Meets East is an album by violinist Yehudi Menuhin and sitar virtuoso Pt. Ravi Shankar, released in Britain in January 1967. It was recorded following their successful duet in June 1966 at the Bath Musical Festival. The main performers are accompanied at various points by Tabla player Ust. Allah Rakha; Menuhin's sister, pianist Hephzibah Menuhin; and Prodyot Sen, on tambura.



"We [Menuhin and his wife, Diana] met Ravi when he was invited to play for us at the house of a friend. He told me he had heard that I was interested in yoga. As a form of exercise, it appealed to me because musicians who are always on the run need to unwind. Unlike swimming, yoga doesn't have to be done in a special place. It was something I could do anywhere and, most importantly, in a hotel room, safely near to my violin. Unlike tennis, I didn't need to make arrangements with any other person in order to do it. It was perfect." In fact, Menuhin was so influenced by yoga that he practiced it regularly and even tried to conduct an orchestral performance in the shirshasana (headstand) pose.

"Because of my experience of getting to know the Romanian composer and violinist Georges Enesco, whom I had met recently, I was psychologically prepared for a meeting of minds with a man such as Ravi Shankar, who is an immensely dedicated man of the greatest integrity. As a teacher, I know of no better." - Menuhin on how he met Pt. Ravi Shankar.




"In January 1952, Yehudi Menuhin and his wife Diana came to India. Together with other well-known Indian musicians, I was invited to Delhi to the house of the director-general of India Radio, to play for Menuhin. Of course, I knew about him and was familiar with his music. In fact, we had already met in Paris when he was 17 and I was 13. At the time I was

living in Paris with my brother, Uday, who was 20 years older than me. His company of Hindu musicians and dancers was based in Paris and we used to go back to India every second year. One day, Yehudi and his sister Hephzibah came to visit our house. Hephzibah accompanied her brother at the piano and even though I was still very young, I was overwhelmed by the sound he made. Yehudi couldn't possibly remember me from all those years ago, but I've never forgotten his playing. In those days, in the Thirties, he came quite often to my brother's home. It was a period in his life when Yehudi was very influenced by the composer Georges Enesco, who had become a kind of guru for him." -Ravi Shankar on Menuhin.

They bonded really well and collaborated to make their masterpiece of an album. They'd always burn incense as an offering before performing or recording and their different cultures mingled into a beautiful friendship.


After 1957, Menuhin shifts his focus on conducting and violin festivities. In 1963, he established the Yehudi Menuhin school and was the art director of the Bath Music Festival. He wrote multiple books based on both his life and on violin lessons and expressed his strong political views. In 1977, he established the live music now (a worldwide charity event) in Britain, and in 1992 in Germany. He even established the London international string quartet competition. in 1999, Menuhin passed away due to bronchitis and various other complications.


Several years later, he is still remembered by performances to honour various events of his life. Multiple institutions and competitions (the Menuhin international competition for young violinists being the most prominent) have been introduced to remember this legendary violinist.

Here are a few recordings of the legendary violinist's performances


 
 
 

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