Joseph Joachim
The Brahms Institute at the University of Music Lübeck has acquired eleven previously unknown letters by Joseph Joachim whicht he violinist and Brahms friend wrote between 1875 and 1888 in French to Jean-Théodore Radoux, the Belgian bassoonist and director of the conservatory in Liège.
Institute director Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Sandberger was able to acquire the volume in mid-November: « The letters from Joachim to Radoux bear impressive witness to the fact that the violin virtuoso was also his own manager. He discusses appointments, performance possibilities, instrumentation and concert programs. For the research work at the Brahms Institute, where a dissertation on Joseph Joachim is currently being written, the letters are a real treasure trove. » The letters also contain personal themes from Joachim’s life: For example, he justifies a concert cancellation with his own illness and, above all, with the poor health of his wife Amalie after the birth of their son Paul. According to the Institute the letters in octavo format are written in a very neat handwriting style typical for Joachim with only a few corrections. The expression in French is cultivated and on a high linguistic level.
For more information, visit www.brahms-institut.de .
