The Week in Reviews, Op. 350: Anne-Sophie Mutter; Nemanja Radulovic; Tessa Lark; Pekka Kuusisto

April 26, 2022, 4:13 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.

Violinist Anne Sophie Mutter and Conductor/Composer John Williams. Photo by Hilary Scott, courtesy Deutsche Grammophon.

Anne-Sophie Mutter performed works by John Williams, including his new Violin Concerto No. 2, with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

Vulture: "He and Anne-Sophie Mutter have already recorded it (the second movement is out), and on Thursday they gave the New York premiere of this long and uncharacteristically meandering work, which is full of charms and beautiful moments that don’t quite gel."
Broadway World: "The rapturous experience of hearing the violin concerto, written specifically for Mutter, caused gasps and moans in the house as these two great friends made art together that was beyond compare."

Nemanja Radulovic performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in his U.S. symphonic debut.

Violinist.com: "When the music called for audacity, Radulovic played all-out; but he also could hold the moment, even seeming to stop time. "

Tessa Lark performed the world premiere ov Michael Schachter’s Violin Concerto, "The Cycle of Life" with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Violinist.com: "The piece, inspired by artist Richard Jolley's glass and steel installation at the Knoxville Museum of Art, was absolutely in sync with the artwork, and Tessa's performance fully conveyed the cyclical story it was designed to tell."
Arts Knoxville: "This is a beautiful work with layer after layer of intriguing moments that appear and then vanish ephemerally—much like the cycle of life itself. Lark’s performance with Demirjian and the orchestra was simply stunning."

Pekka Kuusisto performed Ellen Reid's "Desiderium for solo violin," Nico Muhly’s "Shrink" and other works with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Los Angeles Times: "Reid, who has become a leading voice of her millennial generation, happened to be co-curator of the program with violinist Pekka Kuusisto, who opened it with a stunning premiere of Reid’s 'Desiderium' for solo violin."
I Care if You Listen: "Reid and Kuusisto curated an energetic, well-paced, and remarkably cohesive for a program with nine pieces of varying technical needs. Most importantly, the composers and performers had compelling things to express."

David Coucheron performed Bruch’s "Scottish Fantasy," with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "...we were immediately reminded of Coucheron’s virtues on the violin: a succulent tone with warm, generous phrasing and the sort of musical intelligence (so common among concertmaster types) that suggests he knows his solo part inside out but also where his role fits in the grand scheme of the concerto."

Isabelle Faust performed Mozart’s Concerto No. 3 with the English Baroque Soloists.

TheArtsDesk.com: "She didn’t stint on Mozart’s endless lyrical flow, but her vibrato-lite playing has a warmth and mellowness that perfectly offset the smoky, dusky flavour of the orchestra’s woods."

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