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Hope plays Elgar

May 7, 2007 at 3:09 PM

We recently went to a concert in Birmingham, to hear the CBSO (City of Birmingham Orchestra) play at their home, the Symphony Hall. This auditorium is considered an acoustic & architectural gem, & I had long wanted to visit it.
The concert had Sakari Oramo at the helm, & they opened with Wagner's Tannhauser overture.
This year being Elgar's 150th anniversary, they followed on with Elgar violin concerto, with Daniel Hope as soloist. He played from the score, a safeguard against memory lapse, I imagine. I am told that this used to be de rigeur in the "old" days. His playing was imbued with passion, melancholy and vigour. I have not heard this violinist before in a live performance, and look forward to hearing him again.
The last work on the programme was Brahms' second symphony, always a joy to hear, and a splendid way to end what turned to be a very enjoyable afternoon indeed
Greetings from the other Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, home of hot sun, high pine tree pollen count, and decent fried chicken.

I heard Daniel Hope play here last fall, in the Beaux Arts Trio. They were wonderful. And they played on of my favorite pieces, the Schubert E-flat trio. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I would very much like to hear Hope play the Elgar concerto. I have his Berg/Britten concertos CD, and it is a really good listen.