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The Week in Reviews, Op. 271: Kelly Hall-Tompkins; Emmanuel Tjeknavorian; Attacca Quartet

May 14, 2019, 7:40 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.

Kelly Hall-Tompkins performed Florence Price’s Second Violin Concerto with the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra.

• San Francisco Classical Voice: "It’s a flamboyant work in the best sense, full of brash outbursts, decadent luxuriations, aching chorales, and virtuosic pyrotechnics. Kelly Hall-Tompkins covered the solo part with unflappable poise, bringing a luscious radiance to her lower register."
• New York Classical Review: "...violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins was a technically assured and full-toned soloist, making her instrument sing, slither, and skitter as the moment required."

Emmanuel Tjeknavorian performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra(stepping in for Renaud Capuçon, who was ill).

• Washington Classical Review: "Tjeknavorian not only filled in admirably, he gave a phenomenal rendition of this powerhouse concerto...His technique was daring and assured, from a growling tone on the G string to crisply tuned double-stops and impeccable trills with staccato melodies woven through them."

The Attacca Quartet performed works of Caroline Shaw from their new album, Orange.

• The Log Journal: "I had avoided listening to the album beforehand so that the live experience would feel surprising and new, and I became so overwhelmed by Shaw’s glorious music that this review risks sounding like fan mail."

Vilde Frang performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "The earlier songs were utterly delightful, as was violinist Vilde Frang in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Mr. Honeck and the orchestra matched her gossamer style, keeping the concerto transparent and light throughout."

Soovin Kim performed in recital with pianist Gloria Chien.

• Boston Musical Intelligencer: "So good is their musical and marital collaboration, that it brings me joy. I can think of no higher compliment."

Regina Carter performed David Schiff’s "4 Sisters" with the Chicago Sinfonietta.

• Chicago Tribune: "...judging by this reading, the piece deserves to be heard widely and often."

Alexi Kenney performed Dvorák’s Concerto in A Minor for violin with the Omaha Symphony.

• Omaha World-Herald: "Kenney made this monster of a piece seem easy. The orchestra played the dramatic material surrounding the violin superbly."

Rachel Barton Pine performed Bruch’s "Scottish Fantasy" and Vaughan Williams’ "The Lark Ascending" with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

• Illinois Times: "'The Lark Ascending'...proved to be an almost overwhelmingly delicate and gorgeous setting for the soloist to shine outside of the mode of Scottish folk melodies. The ending of the piece, which featured Pine playing unaccompanied, left the audience breathless."

Michael Barenboim performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

• San Francisco Classical Voice: "Michael Barenboim was the soloist in the Violin Concerto No. 1, producing a small-scale tone, good intonation, and a neutral personality that nearly put the music to sleep in the second movement cadenza."
• LA Times: behind firewall

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

You might also like:

• 'Imagination' - an interview with Kelly Hall-Tompkins
• For the Record, Op. 15: Attacca Quartet Plays Michael Ippolito
• Violinist.com interview with Vilde Frang: Carl Nielsen Violin Concerto

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