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The Week in Reviews, Op. 180: Regina Carter, Itzhak Perlman, Midori
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.
Regina Carter honored Ella Fitzgerald's centennial, in Chicago.
- Chicago Tribune: "Even if Carter never had mentioned Fitzgerald's name or sought to honor the centenary of her birth, this music would have been worth savoring on its own terms. The way Carter's lines floated above a subtle rhythmic backdrop in Marvin Sewell's arrangement of "Judy" and the steeped-in-blue expressions she produced in Charenee Wade's re-conception of 'Undecided' showed the range of Carter's art and, by implication, Fitzgerald's....Surely Ella would have been pleased."
Regina Carter.
Itzhak Perlman performed works by Vivaldi, Beethoven, Schumann, and Ravel, in recital with pianist Rohan De Silva.
- Wisconsin Gazette: "Accompanied by long-time collaborator and pianist Rohan De Silva, Perlman delivered more than two hours of technical skill and musical virtuosity in his second visit to Wisconsin in less than a year."
Midori performed the Britten with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
- Cincinnati Enquirer: "Midori sailed through its treacherous technical challenges, taking her time to communicate its lyrical passages with breathtaking beauty. She phrased with emotion and a pure, sweet tone in the first movement, ending with ethereal sounds high in the stratosphere."
Ning Feng performed Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
- The Daily Telegraph: "Feng displayed a gorgeous light touch with faultless intonation and deft bowing married to a sweet tone. The melodic lines were all smooth and beautifully shaped and, unusually, he happily added his Stradivarius to the ensemble parts when not soloing."
- The Australian: "Equally tidy and equally unremarkable, Feng’s execution of the Mozart provided clear articulation, even vibrato and precise intonation."
- The Straits Times: "A player of unquestionable technical ability, his beautiful tone and superb musicality made the concerto a high point of the evening."
Tasmin Little performed the Elgar with the BBC Philharmonic.
- The Westmorland Gazette: "Throughout the slow sections she projected a warm, rich, mellow lyricism and sweetness of tone. In the bravura passages and fast passage work her fabulous technique enabled her to really open up and throw caution to the wind."
Danielle Maddon premiered Rakowski's Second Violin Concerto with the New England Philharmonic.
- The Boston Musical Intelligencer: "Of the world premiere of David Rakowski’s second Violin Concerto, written for NE Phil concertmaster Danielle Maddon, I am tempted to use the work “craftsmanship” for his work as well, though it left less of an impression."
Sergej Krylov performed Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
- The Scotsman: "The star of the Concerto...was Moscow-born soloist Sergej Krylov, who delivered it with such a sense of gruff, fiery truculence that he simply swept aside any doubts. He projected his line forcefully, and enunciated his phrases with chiselled clarity, even if it felt a bit like he was playing the whole thing through gritted teeth, even a rictus grin."
Pekka Kuusisto performed works by Sibelius with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
- Minneapolis Star Tribune: "...he seemed really engaged in this music. It meant something to him, and as a result the string players on stage with him essayed these pieces with gusto, rich color and impeccable control."
Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!
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Shoulder rests -- ithe debate never ends!
Shoulder rests depend entirely upon the individual upper body physique of each individual violinist & violist ~ Exceptions to this idea were heightened in our Jascha Heifetz Violin Master Classes at USC, & particularly in our original JH Violin Master Classes (available to all violinists & 'civilian's' to now watch in our online YouTube JH Violin Master Class USC films.). By far, our tallest classmate, the now late Claire Hodgkins, with an exceptionally long neck, was compelled to use a shoulder rest to align her upper body with her chin where techniques of holding the instrument steadily - fused w/ the continually active left arm, hand & fingers need a fingerboard of 'steady as you go' plus an individually tailored right shoulder bow arm in physical harmony with the 'comfortable-ness' of the left arm/ hands/fingers emanating from the shoulders of the (pardon the expression) Body of whom is playing ~ Mr. Heifetz, naturally physically endowed w/a very short neck & my 'other' mentor, Nathan Milstein -- also naturally endowed with a very short neck needed no accessories for violin-hold ... Based on his from birth to last years violin Art, JH, in his teaching, always insisted none of us use shoulder rests, Period! If one had to question the cast-in-stone Heifetz insistence upon No shoulder rests, it could well be traced to his own uniquely physical proportions which were made to embrace the violin! JH also felt (as did NM & a few other Giant's in their elite and rarified violinist peer company) that the use of shoulder rests seemed to interfere with the deep connection, physically & emotionally, of the player with the violin + All that entailed/s ... The ear is changed when the shoulder rest is absent which boosts the intimate relationship of sound emanating from the heart & soul of the violinist in major violin concerto/sonata/ unaccompanied literature ~ Some splendid artists, due to un natural body violin physique, need an aide (i.e., shoulder pad or rest) to bridge the gap of body flesh to violin ... My own feeling is not to Suffer if one's neck is a bit too long coupled with every other quality & 'ingredient' required in the Menu for Great Violin Playing and Music Making!
Leaving off with a direct quote from one of my illustrious violin mentor's, think on this: ~ "If it Looks good, it Is Good!" ~
Profound words from one who was Profound ~
One Huge Factor to be addressed at another time ~ the use of shoulder pads/rests in the early stages of teaching children, not yet fully physically grown nor yet detected re their full adult physicality & the conundrum of teacher's: 'Do I teach little Lyle with or without a shoulder rest NOW at aged 6 or even 10?' The Talent & early ease of navigation on the 'board' is most certainly a telltale sign, but physical growth can come in spurts unexpectedly ... Only The Creator knows the final physique of each babe when a full sized adult, so this serious question is not so easily "fixed" as experts might think! One Size doesn't always fit all or in other words, the demands for shoulder pads and rests do not always fit All nor All at varying times ~
Being a teacher of children requires More not Less sensitivity! As one who began teaching at aged 9 with 5 younger 'pupils', & personally progressed, violinistically, to JH artist pupil status & acceptance, I can truly say that dogmatic attitudes toward shoulder pads/rests can & often do physically injure those so gifted by nature needing no intermediate pad to fuse the fiddle with upper chin/neck/ left shoulder & 2 moving parts - both the arms which transmit one's soul ... Be careful as you go ~
Wishing all violinists to find their true physical selves from youth to mature adult physique-hood, perhaps William Shakespeare's Mantra: "To Thine Own Self, Be True" is a profound Guide and Answer with clues to what Laurie Niles rightly titles, "Shoulder Rests -- the debate never ends!"
Respectfully submitted by ~
Elisabeth Matesky / Chicago *
*www.linkedin.com/Profile. YouTube Jascha Heifetz Violin Master Classes, USC. Aram 'Khachaturian 1st Mov't., JH-7, Elisabeth Matesky (Russian Version) Nadia Boulanger in
London with Violinist, Elisabeth Matesky ~ Stravinsky Duo Concertante (CBS/Paris Co Television Production) 'EM Plays' Recordings + Teaching Video Master Classes in Chicago / London (presently available only upon request ~ )
@Elisabeth Matesky:
Would you please share some of Mr. Heifetz' insight on vibrato?
I know he didn't care how it was produced, but it seem rather difficult to emulate his vibrato. When I hear it, it sounds like a mixture of constant finger tapping (on-off string) mixed with arm or wrist motion.
Did he have any exercises for improving vibrato (although he only taught more advanced students)?
Kind thanks.
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May 10, 2017 at 12:25 AM · Regina Carter- Great, finally decided to be a little healthier and get a chin rest instead of her old shoulder rest (which was used with no chinrest, and was monstrously tall, to the tune of 15 cm or more). :O