The Week in Reviews, Op. 262: Anne-Sophie Mutter; Angelo Xiang Yu; Nikolaj Znaider

March 13, 2019, 1:26 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.

Anne-Sophie Mutter. Photo by Monika Höfler.

Anne-Sophie Mutter performed three recitals in one week with pianist Lambert Orkis: at Carnegie Hall in NY; Disney Hall in LA; and Davies Hall in S.F.

New York Times: "On this occasion, she used her magnetism to draw listeners into a world of sounds that included pallid, watery tones a mere whisper away from silence....at the end of an evening of brilliant and often uncannily delicate music-making, Ms. Mutter played two Previn works as encores. She dedicated them to him — 'wherever he is now,' she said with a spiraling gesture taking in the air around and above her."
New York Classical Review: "...there’s a seriousness and intelligence about Mutter’s playing, but she never lets those qualities get in the way of her sense of fun."
LA Weekly: "Backed by her longtime accompanist, American pianist Lambert Orkis, Mutter engaged in a seemingly innocuous program of violin sonatas that ultimately proved to be unexpectedly stirring and poignantly affecting."
San Francisco Classical Voice: "Mutter and Orkis conjured a world of sunshine and beauty that permeated the entire concert."

Angelo Xiang Yu performed Korngold's Violin Concerto in D with the Spokane Symphony.

The Spokesman Review: "Unfazed by every challenge, he maintained a tone of absolute purity and intense beauty, very much in the Heifetz style and at Heifetz’s level. This critic can offer no higher praise."

Nikolaj Znaider performed the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 with the the Brussels Philharmonic.

South Florida Classical Review: "He brought to the performance a seamless bow arm, a formidable technique and an engagingly old-fashioned melodic style, using the sort of slides from note to note that might have been made by a violinist 75 years ago."

Bomsori Kim performed the Dvorak Violin Concerto in A minor with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra.

Lincoln Journal Star: "Phrases came out like the warm spring air we’ve been missing. Perfection in runs and excellent pitching in the highest registers were world-class. As the final movement evoked its dance-like atmosphere, both Kim and conductor swayed to the music together, rendering exquisite music."

Veronika Eberle performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Ulster Orchestra.

Belfast Telegraph: "Young German soloist Veronika Eberle...played Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with exceptional aplomb and technicality, and gave a Prokofiev encore as well."

Naha Greenholtz performed Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.

The Cap Times: "Greenholtz’s tone matched perfectly with the MSO. In one moment, her intricate violin filigree blended seamlessly with the orchestra’s glistening figurations. It was pure magic."

Stefan Jackiw performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Dallas Symphony.

Dallas Morning News: "Jackiw certainly has the chops for the Mendelssohn, but an astonishingly steely tone did it no favors. Neither did a tendency to press tempos in the outer movements, to the extent that the orchestra had trouble keeping up."
Texas Classical Review: "After the dark shades of the opening theme, Jackiw provided an intensely shaped rendition of the more poetic second theme; the cadenza of the same movement showed off not only extraordinary sensitivity to Mendelssohn’s lyricism, but an appropriate breadth of tone and timbre from Jackiw."
Theater Jones: "The second movement was the highlight of the concert. However, he distorted tempi in the first and last movements."

Augustin Hadelich performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

City Newspaper: "As a soloist, Hadelich has uncanny facility with his left hand, resulting in quick, smooth phrases that seem to spill out effortlessly. During the third movement, his double stops – which enabled him to play both the melody and harmony simultaneously – were remarkably fluid."

Julia Hwang performed Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 with The Academy of St Thomas.

The Norwich Evening News: "Julia Hwang was the brilliant young soloist in Max Bruch’s first violin concerto; technically faultless, and compelling in her ability to convey the warmth of the first movement, the lyricism of the second, and the fire of the third, although in the difficult acoustic of the hall, the accompaniment seemed a little heavy handed. However, her encore, a Bach prelude for solo violin was exquisite."

Tal First performed in recital with pianist Ilya Laskin in La Jolla.

San Diego Jewish World: "Franck’s Sonata for Violin and Piano concluded the Program. The third movement, Ben moderato: Recitativo-Fantasia, was played with nuanced sensitivity and the final movement shone with a shimmering violin tone, drawn from First’s Testore violin."

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