The Week in Reviews, Op. 374: María Dueñas; Anne Akiko Meyers; Augustin Hadelich
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 Maria Dueñas.
María Dueñas performed Gabriela Ortiz's "Altar de cuerda" Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel.
- San Francisco Classical Voice: "...the work entices the ear with colorful sonorities, particularly from the harp and mallet percussion, and its razzle-dazzle solo part is making a major star out of the violinist for whom it was written."
- Daily Trojan: "Ortiz’s concerto was performed by 19-year-old violinist María Dueñas, to whom the piece is dedicated. Her playing met the challenges posed by the concerto, demonstrating a dazzling virtuosity. Dueñas and Dudamel showed an immense amount of chemistry, resulting in a tight, high-voltage rendition."
- The Poly Post: "Her emotive performance throughout the piece complimented her promising virtuosity."
Anne Akiko Meyers performed Arturo Márquez's "Fandango" violin concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel.
- Violinist.com: "Meyers played (the third-movement 'Fandanguito') with strength and energy, bringing out the spirit of the rustic 'huesteco' violin that it's meant to imitate."
Augustin Hadelich performed Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Hadelich’s range of sound and emotion was vast and gripping. After the stormy intensity of the first movement, his sound bloomed with warmth and intimacy in the slower second movement. "
Nicola Benedetti performed the Bruch Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 28 with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
- Times Union: "From the first notes, her playing was savory, ripe and appealing. She brought an engaging intimacy to the softer moments and had a penetrating presence in the tutti passages."
David Coucheron and pianist Julie Coucheron performed Franck's Sonata in A Major in a recital celebrating Cesar Franck's bicentennial.
- EarRelevant: "The performance by the Coucheron siblings was splendid. Warm, fluid, and full of emotion without being overbearing. It stands at the top of the live performances I’ve heard in the last handful of years."
The Takacs String Quartet performed works by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, Bartok and Beethoven at Union College.
- The Daily Gazette: "The Takacs set a bright, rounded tone from the opening’s wonderfully tonal chords that then moved along with pretty melodies that the players exchanged."
The Sphinx Virtuosi performed concert at Carnegie Hall celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Sphinx Organization.
- Violinist.com: "...their performance in Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium left no question that the Sphinx Virtuosi is one of the most important ensembles performing on the world’s stages. "
Fabio Biondi performed works by Bach, Vivaldi and Johan Helmich Roman with Europa Galante.
- The Arts Fuse: "Violinist Fabio Biondi, founder and leader of Europa Galante, is clearly in control: from tuning, repertoire, and ensemble size down to entrances, exits, and bows."
Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!
You might also like:
- Interview with Violinist María Dueñas, 2021 Menuhin Competition winner
- Interview with Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers: Premiering Arturo Márquez's 'Fandango' Violin Concert
- The Week in Reviews, Op. 373: Randall Goosby; Cho-Liang Lin; Roberts Balanas; Joshua Bell
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October 20, 2022 at 09:27 PM · This past weekend, I went to see Paul Huang play Vivaldi's 4 Seasons with the Colorado Symphony, and I really liked his playing. He was able to play with a really beautiful sound throughout, and played really collaboratively and sensitively with the orchestra and the different section leaders with whom he had a dialogue at various times, and even though his performance emphasized lyricism and a beautiful, singing tone, he was able to convey the emotional and programmatic aspects as well, which is a tough needle to thread.
The last time I heard the 4 Seasons, the soloist didn't play in a very singing way and leaned totally into the programmatic elements, which ended up making for a bunch of cool sound effects, but not a particularly gratifying interpretation.
I also attended Andras Schiff playing one of my all-time concert experiences, but I'll leave that to the imagination.