For the Record, Op. 230: Christine Bernsted's Lera Auerbach 24 Preludes; cellist Camille Thomas's Chopin Project
Welcome to "For the Record," Violinist.com's weekly roundup of new releases of recordings by violinists, violists, cellists and other classical musicians. We hope it helps you keep track of your favorite artists, as well as find some new ones to add to your listening!
Lera Auerbach: 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano
Christine Bernsted, violin;
Ramez Mhaanna, piano
Lera Auerbach's 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano is a cycle of compact works that follows the key scheme of Chopin’s 24 Preludes, while exploring stark contrasts that range from primordial darkness to naive innocence. Danish duo Christine Bergsted and Ramez Mhaanna have been working together since 2019 and were recognized with a Rødovre Music Prize for their work as performers and communicators of music via their Danish language podcast about music, Clash. BELOW: Trailer for the album:
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Greetings from the 2023 ASTA National Conference!
Greetings from Orlando, where I am attending the 2023 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference, which started on Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla.
It was a wonderful and full day - you can follow what I'm doing in the moment on Violinist.com's Instagram account, and I'll also be posting more in-depth write-ups in coming days.
Day 1 started with a performance at the opening ceremony by violinist Adrian Anantawan with the Howard W. Blake High School Symphonic Orchestra of the first movement of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Adrian, who among many accomplishments, graduated from Curtis Institute and teaches at Berklee College of Music in Boston, was born without a functioning right hand. He also runs a program at the Henderson Inclusion School, helping people with disabilities to find ways to adapt musical instruments so they can play. He told his fascinating story in a lecture that followed his performance - I'll be posting a write-up of that lecture in coming days. Keep reading...
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The Week in Reviews, Op. 391: Vilde Frang, violist Tabea Zimmermann, Danbi Um and Paul Huang
In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.
Vilde Frang performed Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
- The Guardian: "Not only did Frang deal with its virtuoso demands as though they barely existed, but her extraordinarily beautiful tone – not just on the lower strings but in the refulgent glow right to the top – seemed to honour the source of Elgar’s inspiration with a startling immediacy."
- Nation CYMRU: "From the very beginning it was clear that the Norwegian violinist understood the emotions buried in this music which Elgar composed at the height of his powers. This was a captivating performance of sensitivity and insight, suggesting that those who contend that non-English musicians have a deeper understanding of Elgar’s music than those born in the composer’s homeland may be correct."
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The Healing Power of Attending Live Violin Performances
Although the tough early years of the pandemic are over and in-person activities are more or less back to "normal," I’ve still found myself struggling with burnout and trying to redefine a healthy, creative balance for myself as a teacher, musician, and human. I've recently realized that attending live concerts has healed parts of my soul I didn’t know were hurting. Getting to be in the audience again has helped remind me why I love music for its own sake, not just as my career. And it's given me fresh inspiration for my creative work, both as a violinist and as a teacher.
Live performances shape some of my earliest memories, from outdoor concerts with my family to concert tickets in my Christmas stockings and concerts as special family events.
As I grew older and became a musician, I participated in student programs that offered free or reduced-price tickets. (Shoutout to the Arlington County Apprentice Program!) As a college music major, on-campus concerts were part of the degree program and just a part of daily life. Now, as an adult who has aged out of student ticket prices, going to a concert is a rare treat – one I didn’t realize was essential for my personal well-being until I wasn’t going to anything at all.
That changed in that fall of 2021. After a two-year hiatus, I heard Hilary Hahn play the Brahms Violin Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. The experience was exhilarating; the energy in the hall electric. I had chills down my spine the moment Ms. Hahn launched into the opening arpeggios, and I don’t think I took a breath until several minutes later. At the end of the concerto, the audience jumped to their feet and cheered. We applauded Ms. Hahn’s stunning performance, of course, but we were also celebrating the experience of being in a concert hall again. Besides missing the sound of live music, I had also missed the experience of being surrounded by others who were also experiencing the same thing I was, in the same exact moment. There's just something about the sense of collective awe and wonder in a performance space that helps me feel more connected as a human.
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