The Week in Reviews, Op. 198: Kristóf Baráti; James Ehnes; Anne-Sophie Mutter

September 18, 2017, 2:37 PM · 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.

Kristóf Baráti performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Los Angeles Times: "Baráti isn’t that well-known in North America yet, but he should be. He is a serious-looking fellow, playing with a poker-faced expression and no physical histrionics, preferring to let his bow do all of the talking. He produced a large Romantic tone on his Stradivarius with no forcing, a good steady command of the lyrical line in the slow movement, and just enough rambunctiousness in the famous “Turkish” passages."

Kristóf Baráti. Photo by Marco Borggreve.

James Ehnes premiered the Hillborg with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Minneapolis Stat Tribune: "Canadian violinist James Ehnes was the adroit — really, quite brilliant — soloist."
St. Paul Pioneer Press: "...the one-movement work set soloist Ehnes up to be the keeper of contrast, delivering sonic balm to seeming chaos, then — when the rest of the orchestra accepted his calmer tone — erupting into fury with rapid bowing that coursed with anxiety."

Anne-Sophie Mutter performed the Tchaikovsky with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Buffalo News: "Mutter draws sounds out of the violin you didn't know existed. We are talking dog-whistle high notes that whisper into silence. And rich low notes that made you think of a rich-voiced contralto. Sometimes the notes are delicate as tissue and sometimes they have a rough, gutsy texture."

Augustin Hadelich performed the Beethoven with the Utah Symphony.

The Salt Lake Tribune: "Hadelich gave a spellbinding performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto."

Simone Porter performed the Tchaikovsky with the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

Providence Journal: "Porter, who’s just 20, gave us all a lesson in violin playing during the big cadenza in the first movement, with whisper-soft harmonics that were right on the money."

Christian Tetzlaff performed the Birtwistle with the London Symphony Orcehstra.

The Independent: "To follow (Thomas Adès’s "Asyla") with Harrison Birtwistle’s Violin Concerto, with the German virtuoso Christian Tetzlaff in coruscating form, was to go back in spirit to the 19th century, in that – despite the unforgiving modernity of the idiom – soloist and orchestra (plus extra soloists emerging from the orchestra) converse passionately."
Evening Standard: "Harrison Birtwistle’s Violin Concerto is highlighted by the series of intimate dialogues with five orchestral soloists. The 'real' soloist, Christian Tetzlaff, playing non-stop, seemed utterly unfazed by any technical hurdles."
The Telegraph: "But offsetting the din were moments of delicate inwardness and even wit, beautifully projected by violinist Christian Tetzlaff, sometimes in dialogue with the gruff beast of the orchestra, sometimes with a solo player. The ending provided the evening’s most delicately poetic moment."

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Replies

Paul Deck

September 19, 2017 at 10:55 AM · I hope he's not keeping his Stradivarius violin inside that wooden box. It probably doesn't even have "suspension."

Laurie Niles

September 19, 2017 at 05:08 PM · You can't judge a book by its cover, Paul, I saw his fiddle and case in person last spring when I spoke to Kristóf in Chicago -- dang nice.

Paul Deck

September 20, 2017 at 03:20 PM · I thought maybe it was just a posed picture with an antique case. Glad to know his violin is safe and snug.

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