Robert Klenck (Romanian violinist and violin professor)

Robert Klenck (born on October 1st, 1850 in Bucharest, capital of Romania and died on 1921 in the same town) was a remarkable Romanian violinist and violin teacher. He is best known in Romania for his notorious Violin Method first published in 1892.

Life

Robert Klenck was born on October 1st, 1850 in Bucharest, capital of Romania and died on 1921 in the same town. Immediately after the foundation of The Bucharest Conservatory (which is now called The National University of Music Bucharest)in 1863, Robert Klenck was accepted in this musical institution, as a student in the class conducted by the Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher Alexandru Flechtenmacher: he then finished studies in that musical institution as a 1st prize student in 1866.

After 1866. Robert Klenck continued his musical studies with the famous Austrian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher Georg Hellmesberger Senior at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (in German: "Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien", abbreviated MDW) from Austria. Important note (1). It is important to mention, as an essential parenthese, that Georg Hellmesberger Senior studied at MDW under the famous music teachers Joseph Böhm (violin) and Emanuel Förster (composition). Important note (2). It is also important to mention that Georg Hellmesberger Sr. taught at MDW from 1826: from 1833 to 1867 he taught as a professor; among his students were Joseph Joachim (a close collaborator of Johannes Brahms and widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century), the outstanding violin teacher Leopold Auer (and his two sons).

After finishing his studies at MDW, Robert Klenck moves to Leipzig (Germany) were he continues his musical studies at University of Music and Theatre Leipzig (the oldest musical university in Germany, founded in 1843) under the German virtuoso violinist and composer Ferdinand David (violin), Dr. Penz (harmony and music history), Ernst Richter (counterpoint) and Salomon Jadassohn (composition).

After finishing his studies in Leipzig, Robert Klenck becomes concertmaster in the main orchestras of Riga (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvia [Latvia]) and Saint Petersburg (Russia) were he performs a rich violinist carrier between 1877-1879.

After finishing his concertmaster activity in Saint Petersburg, he then establishes in Montreux (Switzerland), where he teaches violin. He actively participates as a violin concertist in the musical life of Montreux and other Swiss towns like Lausanne, Vevey etc.

In 1888, he is then called in Bucharest to temporarily replace his former teacher Alexandru Flechtenmacher and when the chair freed, he becomes a full professor of the violin chair of The Bucharest Conservatory.

Works

Robert Klenck became famous as a violin teacher in Romania after publishing his Violin Method (composed from 7 separate "notebooks" numbered from 1 to 7) in 1892: Klenck's Violin Method (KVM) was widely published and republished in Romania from 1892 until present and it was widely used in the public and private Romanian primary and secondary musical schools from all over the country.

The first 4 notebooks of KVM are truly remarkable for the rich (and varied) melodic content of their studies, exercises and musical pieces. The first 2 notebooks of KVM are dedicated to the 1st violin position only, as Klenck encouraged a (well-organized and persevering) in-depth study of the 1st violin position. Notebooks no. 3 to 5 of KVM teach the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th positions of the violin. Notebook no. 6 concentrates on the techniques and specialities of the right-hand bowing. Notebook no. 7 concentrates on the techniques and specialties of the left hand. KVM also recommends the parallel study of other violin teaching works for a broad and profound study, but also for maximum efficiency. KVM is now considered the most important piece of the scientific foundation of traditional Romanian violin school.

Robert Klenck has also an entry on WorldCat Identities website at URL

Students

Robert Klenck had some students who have dedicated articles on Wikipedia:

1. Petrică Moțoi, a Romanian folk and traditional music violinist
2. Ludovic Feldman a Romanian violinist and composer
3. Mihail (Michael) Andricu, a Romanian composer, violinist, and pianist
4. Constantin C. Nottara, a Romanian violinist, composer and music critic

References

1. Robert Klenck (1892 and re-published in 1966 and after 2000). "Violin Method” (see Notebook no. 1 of KVM on Scribd at this URL; see also the Preface written by the Romanian violonist an teacher Alexandru Theodorescu (URL) for the 1966 edition); see Google search results. Six (from all 7 notebooks of Klenck's Violin Method) can be also bought from this URL. See also this URL. Note. The Romanian violinist and teacher Alexandru Theodorescu is well known for his violin book called "20 de studii în pozitia I pentru vioară" ("20 studies in the 1st position for violin solo"]) which can be bought online from this URL or other Google search URLs.

About the author of this Vixrapedia article

The author of this Vixrapedia article is Dr. Andrei-Lucian Drăgoi, who has has multiple user accounts/pages on:

• ScoreExhcange (as an independent music publisher): https://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/aldragoi
• SMP (as an independent music publisher): https://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/aldragoi
• ResearchGate (as an MD and independent researcher): https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrei_Lucian_Dragoi2
• Academia.edu (as an MD and independent researcher): https://univermed-cdgm.academia.edu/AndreiLucianDragoi
• Vixra.org (as an MD and independent researcher): http://vixra.org/author/andrei_lucian_dragoi
• GSJournal.net (as an MD and independent researcher): http://gsjournal.net/Science-Journals-Papers/Author/1713/Andrei-Lucian,%20Dragoi
• OEIS (as an independent researcher in mathematics, prime number field): https://oeis.org/wiki/User:Andrei-Lucian_Dragoi
• WorldCat Identities (as an independent researcher in theoretical physics): http://worldcat.org/identities/np-dragoi,%20andrei%20lucian/
• Publons (as an independent reviewer in theoretical physics): https://publons.com/author/1518904/andrei-lucian-dragoi#profile

Other useful links

1. Dr. Andrei-Lucian Drăgoi has also published "Minuetto (in G minor) (no. 112), a violin duo from Klenck's Violin method (1892) - Notebook no. 1; Music: Robert Klenck (b.1850 - d.1921) (Romanian violinist and teacher) Arrangement with harmonic and melodic modifications by: dr. Andrei-Lucian Drăgoi", which can be accessed at this URL. Note. Dr. Drăgoi has also transcribed for piano solo many of the violin pieces from Notebook no. 1 and no. 2 of KVM: these transcriptions will (progressively, one-by-one) be available soon on dr. Drăgoi's ScoreExchange personal music page.
2. Dr. Andrei-Lucian Drăgoi has also published "Tu, Doamna noastră, Sfântă Marie! (You, our Lady, Saint Mary!) - a religious song (prayer) based on Minuetto (in G minor) (no. 112), a violin duo from Klenck's Violin method (1892) - Notebook no. 1 -", which can be accessed at this URL.
3. There are no Youtube recordings of studies, pieces or exercises from Klenck's Violin Method except this scales study, which can be found at this "ROBERT KLENCK - PAG 71" URL as recorded by a pupil.
4. See also the Forum page called "Romanian Composers beyond Enescu" at this URL

The list of Vixrapedia pages created by dr. Andrei-Lucian Drăgoi (in the chronological order of release)

1. The "Vertical" (generalization of) the binary Goldbach Conjecture (VBGC) (versiune în limba engleză/English version only)
2. Robert Klenck (Romanian violinist and violin professor) (versiune în limba engleză)
3. Robert Klenck (violonist și profesor de vioară) (versiune în limba română)
4. The Doctors Orchestra "Ermil Nichifor" (Bucharest, Romania) (versiune în limba engleză)
5. Orchestra Medicilor "dr. Ermil Nichifor" (București, România)] (versiune în limba română)