The Week in Reviews, Op. 339: Rachel Podger; Alina Ibragimova; Francisco Fullana

February 1, 2022, 9:49 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.

Rachel Podger. Photo by Theresa Pewal.

Rachel Podger performed violin concertos by Vivaldi and Bach with the Armonico Consort.

The Guardian: "Accompanied by just a handful of strings and continuo, they were full of carefully defined detail and easy give-and-take, the best kind of intimate period-instrument performances."

Alina Ibragimova performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with the London Symphony Orchestra .

inews: "Her characterisation of the phrases often turned them into virtually a conversation between different characters; and with a magically soft first entry, burnished tone, gleaming incisiveness and an unusually rhapsodic twist to the finale’s so-called ‘Turkish’ section, this was a performance to treasure."

Francisco Fullana performed Bach’s Violin Concerto in D Minor with Apollo's Fire.

Chicago Classical Review: "Fullana’s sartorial choices reflected the general impression of his Bach—accomplished, maybe even stylish, but often dangerously flirting with the outer limits of good taste."

Concertmaster Madeline Adkins performed Nathan Lincoln de Cusatis’ "The Maze" violin concerto with the Utah Symphony.

Utah Arts Review: "Adkins established the violin’s presence with an intriguing solo passage evoking space and solitude."

Gordon Tsai performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Arts Knoxville: "Tsai was happiest in the work’s brightest, most vigorous moments of tempo, his phrasing cascading with waves of musical gravity. While the first movement cadenza seemed to dominate its neighboring sections in importance, it succeeded in imparting a bit of human drama into the storm."

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