The Week in Reviews, Op. 316: Joshua Bell; Augustin Hadelich; Nicola Benedetti

August 10, 2021, 11:02 AM · 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.

Violinist Joshua Bell.

Joshua Bell performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood.

The Berkshire Eagle: "Performing his own cadenzas, Bell pushed his antique Stradivarius instrument to the max. A still-youthful 53, he has entered his second decade as principal conductor of London’s Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields chamber orchestra. His interpretation of the Beethoven concerto, 32 years after his BSO debut at Tanglewood, demonstrated a deepening commitment, maturity and sensitivity."
The Boston Musical Intelligencer: "For Saturday’s concert at Tanglewood, Bell brought out the same qualities that Beethoven’s lifelong friend Franz Clement, the concertmaster of Vienna’s Theater an der Wien, was known for: fantastic technical skill, gracefulness, tenderness of expression, and delicacy."

Augustin Hadelich performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Grant Park Orchestra.

Chicago Classical Review: "Hadelich played with a glowing yet focused, tensile tone, evenly produced and technically immaculate throughout. His was a spacious, fantasia-like conception of this work. "

Nicola Benedetti performed Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

The Guardian: "From the generous lyricism of her solo opening to the finale’s collective off-kilter dance, Benedetti stood within, not in front of, the orchestra, her laid-back virtuosity in intimate dialogue with her fellow musicians – an unforgettable showcase of high-energy collaboration."
iNews: "In Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2 it was timbre, the way the players listened to the grit in soloist Nicola Benedetti’s tone in her opening solo and matched it, digging for unexpected astringency and finding it, spinning it first into a ghostly ballad in the slow movement and finally a malevolent dance in the finale.">

William Hagen performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Chicago Classical Review: "Hagen’s first entrance was captivating, floating delicately above the orchestra. His tone in both of the first two movements was airy, his vibrato subtle enough to add warmth without excessive sentiment."

Anne Sophie Mutter performed the world premiere John Williams' Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood.

The Boston Musical Intelligencer: "The concerto was crisply performed, with the wide range of characters. Anne-Sophie Mutter gave an extraordinarily complete expression of the various mods and styles, and she was superbly abetted by harpist Jessica Zhou and timpanist Timothy Genis"

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed in recital with pianist Joonas Ahonen at the Edinburgh International Festival.

The Times: "...this was one of those concerts you remember forever. Rain may be a force of nature but so is Kopatchinskaja, especially playing Beethoven, and Ahonen, a late replacement, matched her like a doppelgänger."

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

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Paul Deck

August 11, 2021 at 03:17 PM · Yes, the Boston Musical Intelligencer is as much in need of a copy editor as it appears from the excerpt Laurie selected.

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 316: Joshua Bell; Augustin Hadelich; Nicola Benedetti

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