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The Week in Reviews, Op. 342: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Daniel Lozakovich; Brendon Elliott 'The Chevalier'

February 23, 2022, 10:15 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.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed Stravinsky's Violin Concerto with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

• The Guardian: "Patricia Kopatchinskaja, for whom theatricality is integral to performance, seemed not so much to play the Violin Concerto as to live it, acting and even dancing to the music, none of which detracted from her dazzling technique and expressive brilliance. "
• theartsdesk.com: "Her punky, combative approach propelled the first movement forward with a pleasing devilishness, but at time risked being pantomimic. But in the middle movements, a pair of arias, Kopatchinskaja found a beautiful cantabile, sensitively accompanied by a deceptively large orchestra."

Daniel Lozakovich performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Utah Symphony

• Utah Arts Review: "What set the young Swede’s performance apart was his natural connection to the music — and his ability to get out of its way. His first entrance was tender and sweet, rather than commanding, and he played with a light touch that made the listener lean in."

Brendon Elliott performed works by Joseph Bologne during a staged performance of "The Chevalier" by Bill Barclay.

• Third Coast Review: "Elliott took on the rapid-fire challenging technique in solos Bologne wrote for himself and earned the loudest round of applause during the closing bows."
• Chicago Tribune: "'It’s some of the hardest music from that time period I’ve seen,' Elliott says. '(Bologne) is not ashamed of showing off in a very extroverted and obvious way.'"

Isabelle Faust performed Robert Schumann’s Violin Concerto with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

• The Guardian: "As always her playing was a marvel of nimble brilliance, effortlessly navigating the thickets of figuration to which Schumann’s violin writing often resorts, and making the most of the touching simplicity of the concerto’s slow movement. But she could do nothing to mitigate the rambling repetitions in the first and last movements, or their sheer lack of thematic variety, for all her efforts at gilding them."

Daishin Kashimoto performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

• Texas Classical Review: "Kashimoto was simply masterful in his rendering of the material–as one might expect from the first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. His presentation was a demonstration in technical precision, with moments of unbridled brilliance throughout. "

James Ehnes performed the Walton Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

• The Guardian: "Ehnes gave a poetic performance, bringing out the music’s wistfulness as well as its fury and dazzle."

Aisslinn Nosky performed Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra in D Minor and other works with the Portland Baroque Orchestra.

• Oregon Artswatch: "Right out of the gate, it took off with Nosky’s espresso-schnell fingers flying above an accompaniment that was itself really swift. There were punchy accents, lovely melodic phrases and furious music-making with the utmost conviction that caused the audience to break out in applause."

Johnny Gandelsman performed "This is America" solo recital at San Francisco’s St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

• Datebook: "Each of these short pieces, running six to 10 minutes, found different ways to draw on the prickly, spare resources of a single instrument and turn them to communicative effect."

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

• The Scotsman: "Ever the one in charge, she ripped through the composer’s neoclassical frenzy with the choreographed dynamism of a rock star, even giving us 'the cadenza Stravinsky didn’t write' – her own breathtaking creation – as a show-stopping encore."
• The Times: She's a stunning package, as compelling to watch as to hear.

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

You might also like:

• The Week in Reviews, Op. 341: James Ehnes, Christian Tetzlaff; Johnny Gandelsman
• The Week in Reviews, Op. 340: Jennifer Koh; Sayaka Shoji; Augustin Hadelich
• The Week in Reviews, Op. 339: Rachel Podger; Alina Ibragimova; Francisco Fullana

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