The Week in Reviews, Op. 278: Simone Lamsma; Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth; Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
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.
Simone Lamsma. Photo by Otto van den Toorn.
Simone Lamsma performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Milwaukee Symphony.
- Urban Milwaukee: "She gave the impression of being an enthusiastic collaborator, frequently swaying toward the conductor or the first violin section, smiling, as if to say, 'It’s not all about me. We’re making music together!'"
- Shepherd Express: "For this, the soloist was Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma, who played the challenging central role in this lovely work beautifully. Like much of Mendelssohn’s output, his E minor concerto straddles the line between classical restraint and emotional romanticism; Lamsma’s take fell decidedly on the latter side."
Pinchas Zukerman and cellist Amanda Forsyth performed the world premiere of Avner Dorman’s "Double Concerto" with the the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
- InDaily: "'Double Concerto' is demanding, of players and the audience. It is anxious and pastoral by turn, with intriguing dialogue between the solo players that blended into harmony and then fragmented....Zukerman and Forsyth sinuously wound their playing around each other’s with invigorating changes in pitch and volume. It was fascinating to observe such a level of control and technical mastery at close quarters."
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg performed Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor with the Eastern Festival Orchestra.
- News & Record: "Known for her extroverted, passionate performances, it was a surprise to hear her play so intimately, with a silken tone, spinning out slender threads of melody. "
Vadim Gluzman performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
- Limelight: "Gluzman delivered the concerto with utter assurance, working well with Czech maestro, Jakub Hruša to develop long-breathed phrases that ensured a perfect blend of technical bravura and romantic lyricism."
- The Sydney Morning Herald: "Gluzman implicitly understands the tension that exists between his responsibility to the music's fidelity and his audience's desire to be thrilled, and in this performance those dual concerns found perfect equilibrium."
Carolin Widmann performed Stravinsky's Violin Concerto with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
- stuff: "Widmann showed real bite with the dramatic sweeping chords that pervade the work, achieving symmetry between the more strident gestures and the sustained lines, as in the third movement which is the emotional heart of the work. I enjoyed the sparkle and clarity she brought to the crisp ostinato passages so reminiscent of The Soldier's Tale and there was much to admire in the orchestra, with tight brass punctuation and plenty of rhythmic punch."
The Orion String Quartet performed works by Mozart, Kreisler and Schubert at Bard’s Olin Hall.
- The Millbrook Independent: "In all three pieces played it appears the composers were recycling autobiographical elements, quite personal, into their music....This concert subtlety glorified recycling for an age that must recognize the virtues of recycling on the macro level. Unless we learn to aggressively recycle, the lifespan of humanity will shorten. Orion intended to be shocking…."
Michael Foyle performed the Korngold's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 with the City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra.
- Cambridge Independent: "Foyle showed obvious enjoyment in playing the concerto and played outwardly ‘to’ the audience as though to share his love for it, rather than being too inwardly involved with its beguiling sentiment. His refined performance of the second movement ‘Romanze’ in particular was absolutely hypnotizing."
Replies
@Paul Deck ~
There are many many copycats out there - all trying to get to a perceived 'Top' ~ Whilst I don't blame any, I do 'see through' masked smiles etc. Unfortunately, we now live in a Visual Era of 'Musicality' ~ This doesn't bode well for regally Inner Core Artistry. People now 'listen' w/ their eyes & most ears just happen to 'tune in' if something visually exciting grabs aural attention ~ I know that a great Brahms, Sibelius, Shostakovich #I, Stravinsky, Korngold, Khachaturian & Rimsky-Korsakov (bless his Soul) do Grab Aural Attention in Ears of True Blue Violin aficionados! Yet we must remind our sorrowful selves that "things" have really changed -- at least for the YouTube Generation ~ So, those fortunate to be Apostle's of Heifetz, Milstein, Gingold, Zino Francescatti, Grumiaux, & The Like, have enormous responsibity NOW to Play LIVE for many more
younger concert goer's & God Willing, attract by still up to gold standard maintained Artistry w/huge traces of our fabled true blue Master Mentor's ...
Sending you best musical greetings, dear Paul ~
Elisabeth Matesky / Chicago *
*I took a Long Look at the "... Fastest Violinist in the World" Discussion & thought you were good & positive ~ DK does have an innate facility, but it takes Everything to train a wild Philly to transform into a Secretariat or a Violinist of Truly Fine authenticity & control whilst bringing out inner & long held back emotions for a zillion psychological reasons . . . Chicago Hugs to you! EM ~
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July 6, 2019 at 01:32 PM · I enjoyed the comments about Lamsma being an "enthusiastic collaborator." I think most concertgoers really enjoy that element of live performance.
But is it organic or stage-acting? Not that it really matters, but I'm thinking of a piece that I was studying for a while because our community orchestra was performing it with a professional cellist: The Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations. There is a wonderful video on YouTube with Narek Hakhnazaryan, who I think is THE consummate artist of the cello of his generation. If you watch the video you'll see him acknowledge sections or individuals in the orchestra with big smiles. But then if you watch another performance of his, with a different orchestra, all those gestures are basically the same. So -- are they organic, or are they just "part of the score" for him?