The rise and fall (and rise again) of Yehudi Menuhin, and the importance of fingerwork

This story was told to me by my violin teacher, Bob Issel, who played in the London Symphony Orchestra for many years, with many great soloists, including Yehudi Menuhin. While my research on the internet has hinted at the problems Menuhin experienced. Bob's version has details I haven't come across.

From a very young age Yehudi Menuhin expressed a rare talent for violin, and his performances were applauded for their maturity. Following a solo performance of a Beethoven violin concerto with the New York Symphony Society at the age of 11, a Herald Tribune critic hailed his "ripeness and dignity of style." It continued: "What you hear takes away your breath and leaves you groping helplessly among the mysteries of the human spirit.

Yehudi initially started lessons at 5 years old, under Sigmund Anker, and then later with Louis Persinger, concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. He gave a solo performance with the symphony at the age of eight. When Persinger moved to New York in 1925, Menuhin followed him, making his debut at the Manhattan Opera House the following year.

Yehudi's natural proficiency meant that he mastered difficult works with very little practice, The inate talent he possessed, flowing through his fingers, making the most complex passages seem effortless.

When the Menuhin's went to Paris, Persinger suggested Yehudi go to his own teacher, Eugène Ysaÿe. It's here that Bob's story begins. According to Bob, Yehudi at first attempted to impress Ysaÿe with his brilliant renditions of great solo works. However Ysaÿe was only interested in how well he knew his scales, and in fact asked him to play for him, the first scale to be taught most beginner students...the C major scale. Both Yehudi and his mother thought this beneath a player of his standing and skill. Ysaÿe had an approach that had a very strong emphasis on structural and foundation work, with finger exercises being the basis of his style of teaching.

Apparently The Menuhin's were very affronted by his requests,and felt he was totally unsuitable as a teacher for Yehudi, and they never worked together. However he may have regretted this for the rest of his career

In 1934,at the age of 18 Yehudi went on his first world tour, visiting 63 cities in 13 countries and performing at 110 engagements. However for the next 2 years he made no public appearances at all.

According to Bob, what happened during this period was that his technique totally fell apart. (In fact some say he never recovered his former level of playing, despite doing wonderful work throughout his life). The heavy work load of the world tour had pushed his sensitive brain, and fingers to the limit. Over the next two years he had to totally relearn the most basic foundations of the violin.

After building early success on richly romantic and tonally opulent performances, he experienced considerable physical and artistic difficulties caused by overwork during the war as well,which has also been contributed to his unfocused and unstructured early training. Careful practice and study combined with meditation and yoga helped him overcome many of these problems.