The Week in Reviews, Op. 259: Daniel Hope; Renaud Capucon; James Ehnes
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.
Daniel Hope performed as music director/concertmaster/soloist with New Century Chamber Orchestra.
- The Daily Journal: "Though Menuhin was Hope’s mentor, he was never his teacher. Their styles are normally unalike. But in playing the Schumann arrangement, Hope altered his typically light and sweet tone into a deeper, thicker middle range that faintly echoed Menuhin’s unique manner."
Daniel Hope. Photo by Thomas Entzeroth.
Renaud Capuçon performed Matthias Pintscher’s violin concerto "mar’eh" with the New World Symphony, with the composer conducting.
- South Florida Classical Review: "Originally conceived in 2010 for Julia Fischer, mar’eh proved a perfect vehicle for Renaud Capuçon. The French violinist plays the 1773 (sic) Guarneri del Gesú instrument that previously belonged to Isaac Stern, and Capuçon’s subtle artistry drew out the glistening harmonics and rich tonal hues of the score." (EDITOR'S NOTE: The "Panette" del Gesú was made in 1737)
James Ehnes performed the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
- Channel3000.com: "Johannes Brahms' 'Concerto for Violin and orchestra in D Major' has three movements and at least some of the concert goers Friday night were on their feet following each of the movements."
Igudesman & Joo performed with pianist Yuja Wang at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall.
- New York Times: "...when the evening hewed more closely to truly musical comedy, it showed just how funny virtuosity — especially that of the multitalented Ms. Wang — can be."
Anthony Marwood performed Thomas Adès' violin concerto "Concentric Circles" with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
- Radio New Zealand: "Marwood delivered a visceral, riveting performance of the concerto. From the opening of the first movement with its stratospheric, circling orbits of sound he brought out the intense lyricism of the music with effortless style despite the music’s quite fiendish technical challenges."
Gil Shaham performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the San Francisco Symphony.
- San Francisco Classical Voice: "Everything was beautifully full: whole bows, placed at the optimal sounding point, and continuously vibrated. It was all “concertmaster beautiful,” which meant that the more high-stakes moments of the music didn’t necessarily feel that way."
Blake Pouliot performed Max Bruch’s "Scottish Fantasy" with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
- Shepherd Express: "Pouliot’s violin cast a sweet, lean, silky sound. He seemed effortless in his graceful playing, even in the virtuoso sections of the jolly final movement. Pouliot’s extroverted personality came forth in that movement, showing the pure joy of music making."
Angelo Xiang Yu, performed the Butterfly Lovers Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony.
- Xinhua North America: "Played by emerging violin star Angelo Xiang Yu, the violin piece produced the first climax of the concert and was greeted with thunderous applause."
Ning Feng performed the Brahm's Violin Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
- The News: "The overall approach was serious, musically thought out and structured; the soloist had great technical ease, youthful virility, a sweet sound and the ability to phrase as if singing, enabling one to listen afresh to what may sometimes seem overly cosy and familiar in performance."
In-mo Yang performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
- The Donga-A- Ilbo: "The Korean violinist picked up in tempo in every movement and bowed fast, using the entire fiddle bow to play the melody, which has been interpreted as slow and deep, in the second movement."
Yury Revich performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra .
- Ilkley Gazette: "The characterful phrasing and sweetness of tone coaxed from his 1709 Stradivarius were the hallmarks of a mesmerising performance that delighted a full house. For his encore, Revich dazzled the audience with some violin pyrotechnics by Fritz Kreisler."
Yi-Jia Susanne Hou performed Chausson’s Poeme and Ravel’s Tzigane with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Calgary Herald: "This was a performance that could hardly be bettered for its poised, sinuous melodic lines and delicacy. The melodies soared above the subdued orchestral background, and the vocally inflected manner of performance transported the listeners into a special emotional realm."
Chen Yangyuetong performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, in Worcester, Mass.
- Telegram & Gazette : "Yangyuetong navigated the demanding technical challenges of the concerto well, with a nice but thin tone, which was often overpowered by the orchestra, particularly in forte sections."
Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!
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Good catch! I will make a note of it up in the story.
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February 19, 2019 at 09:10 PM · Of course, "the 1773 Guarneri del Gesú instrument that previously belonged to Isaac Stern" is no such thing, as Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri "del Gesù" died in 1744. The error was copied verbatim from the original review, but maybe we can have it correct here on violinist.com?
This is the "Panette" of 1737 ; Stern also owned and played the "Ysayë" of 1740. Apparently many of the recordings he did were done with the "Panette" because he found it easier to play, but he gave up the "Panette" first in his final years.