The Week in Reviews, Op. 408: Tai Murray, Emerson String Quartet, Maxim Vengerov

July 11, 2023, 1:33 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 Tai Murray. Photo by Gaby Merz.

Tai Murray performed Wynton Marsalis's Violin Concerto in D with the Grant Park Orchestra in Chicago.

Chicago Classical Review: "...the Chicago native made a passionate case for Marsalis’s vast four-movement work. Her strong musicianship was never in doubt, even with a tentative opening to the sleepy stardust 'Rhapsody.' Once the music swelled into more nightmarish territory, she flourished with a display of bravura playing that sounded nearly improvisatory. When the musical narrative collapsed again into 'ancestral memory,' as Marsalis describes it, Murray took full ownership of the score’s demanding upper-register lyricism."

The Emerson String Quartet performed in one of their final concerts at University of Oregon's Beall Hall.

Slipped Disc: "As they approach their final 100 days of being the Emerson String Quartet, they could have played it safe. They could have picked repertoire that would play itself. But no, in the typical Emerson fashion they played an invigorating program with a newly commissioned work by an American composer (Sarah Kirkland Snider), Bartok 2 and Beethoven 131."

Maxim Vengerov performed Mendelssohn's Concerto in E minor in his debut at the Aspen Music Festival.

The Aspen Times: "Even the oh-so-familiar Mendelssohn Violin Concerto felt fresh and unforced under his fingers and bow. Subtle nuances abounded: tiny hesitations before key phrases, a delicate glissando here, a whisper of a diminuendo there. Not an aggressive rethinking of the piece, reflecting a sense of humility before the composer’s intent."

Hilary Hahn performed the Brahms Violin Concerto with the New York Philharmonic in Hong Kong.

South China Morning Post: "From the opening bars of the introduction to Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D, the buoyancy of the orchestra’s playing and their immaculate phrasing were evident. When Hahn’s earthy and consistently polished tone was added to the mix, it proved a partnership par excellence."

James Ehnes performed Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Philadelphia Orchestra at Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

Vail Daily: "The Juilliard School graduate’s full-bodied tone never thinned as he slid into the upper positions of his “Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715, effortlessly dancing through the piece’s notoriously consistent use of the upper register."

Paul Huang and pianist Roman Rabinovich performed in recital at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival.

Boston Musical Intelligencer: "... a ravishingly varied and breathtakingly executed recital...that avoided anything in the warhorse category....Huang and Rabinovich gave what was one of the most satisfying chamber music performances we have heard in years."

William Shaub and pianist Kevin Class performed in recital at the Cathedral Concert Series in Knoxville, Tenn.

Arts Knoxville: "Shaub met every musical and technical obstacle with a devil-may-care flair, showing a true and deep understanding of the score. He clearly appreciates Strauss’ operatic grounding and reveled in the luscious lines that sounded so obviously written with a voice, not a violin, in mind."

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 408: Tai Murray, Emerson String Quartet, Maxim Vengerov

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