The Week in Reviews, Op. 214: Janine Jansen; Ray Chen; Hilary Hahn

January 22, 2018, 8:16 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.

Janine Jansen performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The New York Times: "Her performance was so probing and lucid, and so matched by the refined playing of the orchestra, that this popular piece sounded fresh and bracing."

Janine Jansen.

Ray Chen performed the Beethoven with the Pacific Symphony.

San Diego Reader: "When Ray Chen played his first solo line, I thought, 'Hmm. This must be what it sounds like to live inside a violin.' That is hardly an exaggeration."

Hilary Hahn performed the Mendelssohn with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Music OMH: "Hahn’s performance was complementary to all of this – full of gossamer-light playing (the little arpeggio flicks at the opening of the third movement were whispers of sound), bringing out the sweetness of her instrument, and supplying a little power where needed. She avoided cloying romanticism (allowing only the merest hint of schmaltz in the first-movement cadenza) reminding us that, while Mendelssohn may be seen as a Victorian composer, Schumann’s comment about him being ‘the Mozart of the nineteenth century’ holds true.

Nicola Benedetti performed the Beethoven with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Dallas Morning News: "Benedetti played fabulously, with wholly sympathetic collaboration from Runnicles and company."
Texas Classical Review: "Benedetti’s clean trills and passagework, tossed off with serene ease, built inexorably toward a passionately delivered climax: in collaboration with pianist Petr Limonov, Benedetti has created her own enthralling cadenza based on Beethoven’s cadenza for the piano transcription of this concerto, nicely incorporating the timpani obbligato from the piano version."

Pinchas Zukerman performed and conducted Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Palm Beach Daily News: "Zukerman’s performance, as conductor and soloist, radiated a laid-back sense of ease."
South Florida Classical Review: "Zukerman is an old hand at soloing and leading Mozart concertos. In the 1970's he recorded an outstanding set of all five Mozart violin concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra. His technique is still strong and intact, his tone rich without overdoses of sugary excess."

Andrew Sords performed Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

CarolinaCurtainCall.com/:"Sords displayed extraordinary precision in the frenzied energy of the Allegro Aperto, tossing back and forth the main motif to the orchestra (with two oboes and two horns), and the rapid-fire ascending and descending of pointed melody and double and triple stops with fiery intensity and richness."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!

Replies

Christian Lesniak

January 23, 2018 at 05:06 PM · I saw Angelo Xiang Yu play Vivaldi's Four Seasons with the Colorado Symphony on Friday. It was a performance that really leaned into the programmatic aspects of the piece, with him really bringing out the various characters and actions. In that vein, it was a performance of extremes, with sometimes ugly (or maybe interesting) sounds brought out that might not be done in a more classically inflected performance. He played with sparing vibrato, but his sound was very beautiful and he built up really long lines that always seemed to have a direction to them. Everything his right hand did was really incredible.

There was also a pretty interesting interplay between him and the conductor and him and members of the orchestra that had duets with him, so it seems like he was having a lot of fun. I was in the 2nd row, so I really appreciated the soft playing, but a friend sitting in the back of the hall reported that he sounded a little too soft from that distance.

It was maybe a polarizing performance, but I really enjoyed it. I don't really have a lot of baggage with the piece, so I didn't come in with any particular expectations, but someone hoping for more of a performance reflecting the notes in the score and not the programmatic sonnets may have found it excessive, but the rest of the audience seemed to dig it. If you get the chance, check this guy out!

Laurie Niles

January 23, 2018 at 08:58 PM · Christian, was there a review? I'd be happy to add it.

Pamela M

January 23, 2018 at 09:28 PM · I saw Janine Jansen perform Debussy, Chausson and Grieg on Sunday at Carnegie Hall with Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Her performance with Thibaudet was great. The quartet was a little stiff, which was too bad because her playing was really lovely. She has such a great presence on stage, and of course makes it all look so easy!!!

Christian Lesniak

January 23, 2018 at 09:49 PM · Doesn't look like there is a review from any newspaper or anything like that. I almost never see any reviews for any concerts in Denver, which is kind of a shame, but I doubt there is much of a market for it here.

Laurie Niles

January 24, 2018 at 03:52 AM · That really is a shame, Christian. Denver is my home town, and they certainly used to have classical music coverage, back in the day!