Private music lessons: Gérard Poulet, Violinist & Teacher

In direct language, with no attempt at ingratiation, sometimes acerbic and rather unsettling in his remarks (the young Renaud Capuçon takes them in his stride without flinching!), Gérard Poulet hunts down imperfections and corrects them. Technique is there only to serve the music, he explains, even in the most demanding Caprice of Paganini. His anecdotes about the Debussy Sonata, which his father Gaston Poulet (founder of the eponymous quartet) created in collaboration with the composer, or his difficulties in finding his way in life in the face of this authoritarian father who could not understand his fascination with Jascha Heifetz, are rare moments. They give us a sharper insight into this sober, distant man, who nonetheless admits to a feeling of absolute loyalty to some of his pupils.

Full DVD available here: http://store.harmoniamundi.com/gerard-poulet-violinist-and-teacher.html