The Week in Reviews, Op. 385: Janine Jansen; William Shaub; Lisa Batiashvili

January 31, 2023, 11:08 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 Janine Jansen. Photo by Marco Borggreve.

Janine Jansen performed Sibelius's Violin Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra.

theartsdesk.com: "Surely the big-boned, mega-romantic approach to Sibelius’s Violin Concerto was worked out in an ideal relationship with the phenomenal Janine Jansen. Both knew it would work given the communicative intensity with which Jansen delivered every phrase, starting with the rare frisson you get from a soloist who joins the shimmer in a parallel universe before coming to the fore, and the care for orchestral colour."

William Shaub performed with horn player Jeffery Whaley and pianist Kevin Class in recital for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster Series.

ArtsKnoxville: "Whaley’s horn sound (was) luminous.... Coupled with this solid tone was an agility in weaving a coherent storyline in the contrasting moods of the trio —t he energetic Scherzo and the ebullient Finale versus the nostalgic Adagio mesto. Violinist Shaub was the ideal traveling companion here, providing a compelling musical narrative that careened through emotional starts and stops, almost like a roller coaster in deliberate slow motion, consistently backed up with an unwavering satisfying richness of tone. Pianist Class, clean and accurate as usual, was also the ideal companion in making dynamic statements."

Lisa Batiashvili performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Cleveland Orchestra in Miami.

South Florida Classical Review: "Tall and statuesque, the Georgian-born Batiashvili belongs to the Russian school of violin playing (her teacher Mark Lubotsky was a student of David Oistrakh). Her high-powered reading of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major fully resonated from that tradition and proved totally convincing."

Baiba Skride performed Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Boston Musical Intelligencer: "Skride’s Adagio was even more heart-rending, as if to say, 'I haven’t told you the worst.'"
The Arts Fuse: "Skride played with a delicate tone that didn’t probe the darkness so much as wade through."

Blake Pouliot performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra.

Bangor Daily News: "The 29-year-old is one of the most expressive guest violinists to play with the Bangor orchestra in the past decade. He plays with his entire body — channeling the music from his toes up through his heart, down his arms and out through his deft fingers."

Rachel Priday performed Jose White Lafitte’s Violin Concerto in F Sharp Minor at the Verde Valley Sinfonietta, with guest conductor William C. White playing piano.

Sedona Red Rock News: "...this program was revised at the last minute when heavy snowfall shut down State Route 89A north of Sedona and trapped about half the orchestra in Flagstaff, including most of the string section. Since White and violin soloist Rachel Priday both succeeded in making it to the Sedona Performing Arts Center in spite of the weather, they elected to go ahead with Priday’s planned rendition of Jose White Lafitte’s Violin Concerto in F Sharp Minor, with White accompanying Priday on the piano in place of a full orchestra."

Karen Gomyo performed Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "After a properly sweet opening, she soon dug in heavily with peculiar phrasings on the strings in the opening movement."

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 385: Janine Jansen; William Shaub; Lisa Batiashvili

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