The Week in Reviews, Op. 32: Christian Tetzlaff, Erin Keefe, Lindsey Stirling in concert

Written by Robert Niles
Published: May 20, 2014 at 7:33 PM [UTC]

Christian Tetzlaff performed the Bartok with the San Francisco Symphony

• San Francisco Chronicle: "This was a virtuoso display of technical bravura and emotional eloquence, all wrapped into one beautifully integrated package."
• San Jose Mercury News: "His performance Wednesday was a jaw-dropper."
• Examiner.com: "Béla Bartók’s second violin concerto, was anything but conventional; and the interpretation of the solo part by Christian Tetzlaff could not have been more up to the task."
• San Francisco Classical Voice: "From moments of tender lyricism and spooky sound sculpturing to the far-more-common strident militancies, orchestral outbursts, and thrilling virtuoso expostulations, the Tetzlaff-Tilson-Thomas axis held the Davies Symphony Hall patrons in thrall."

Photo via the artist's Facebook page.

Lindsey Stirling performed in concert in Anaheim, Calif.

• Orange County Register: "Not only did Stirling bow away with flawless precision, whether on a classical model or a modern electric version, she also moved like Jagger and sometimes joined two dancers in choreographed routines while fluidly continuing to play."

Adé Williams performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra

• Independent Online Tonight: "Her technical abilities are obvious, and in her youthful way she captured the joyous spirit of this lovely work."

Anna Lee performed the Glazunov with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

• Chicago Classical Review: "The Korean-born violinist was most impressive in the lyrical moments, playing with a rich, singing line and tonal sweetness ideal for Glazunov’s melodies."

Benjamin Beilman performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra

• NUVO: "With an occasional slip here, a squeak there, and an off-pitch at another place, Beilman nonetheless captured the essence of the work's solo parts with a well controlled tone and the chops to manage the difficult figurations."

Erin Keefe performed the Mendelssohn with the Minnesota Orchestra

• Minneapolis Star-Tribune: "The emotional temperature was cooler and less expansive, leaning more on Mendelssohn’s classical roots than his yearnings toward Romanticism."
• The Pioneer Press: "Keefe's take on the concerto was as sweet and strong as a powerful liqueur, aggressive in the early going, fiery in the finale, but at its best in a velvet-draped middle movement, her clear, sonorous lines the conduit for a palpable yearning."

Leila Josefowicz performed the Adams with the National Symphony Orchestra... and Jessica Lang Dance

• Washington Post: "When (the dancers) reappeared quietly on the stage below, they stood rapt, as we all were, by the violinist’s vigor."

Joshua Bell performed the Sibelius with the Los Angeles Philharmonic

• Los Angeles Times: "The violinist's was a physical performance, exceptional technically, but none of the added emphasis added depth."
• Violinist.com: "As Bell entered over the hushed static of the orchestra -- his 1713 Gibson Strad so clear, so pure -- the talking ceased, audience fully arrested by the music. How does Joshua Bell do that?"

Gil Shaham performed the Berg with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

• The New York Times: "Mr. Shaham played the technically daunting violin part of this two-movement concerto with command, clarity and melting sound."
• New York Classical Review: "Shaham (dove) into the lines of his solo part with a warm tone and full vibrato that one might expect in a nineteenth-century concerto."
• ConcertNet: "Listening to Mr. Shaham, one knows that feeling needs no age or era."

We'd love to hear about any recent concerts and recitals you've attended, too. Or just tell us in the comments what you think about these reviews!