The Week in Reviews, Op. 472: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Paul Huang; Augustin Hadelich

October 22, 2024, 5:41 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 atricia Kopatchinskaja.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

New York Classical Review: "The violinist’s musings grew ever more introspective as the variations progressed, but the solo cadenza snapped out of that with lightning scales and string-crossing fireworks, igniting the concerto’s furious Burlesque. Soloist and orchestra players matched hot licks in tight ensemble as the music accelerated to a blazing finish, touching off a long-lasting ovation."
Back Track: "Kopatchinskaja’s playing was breathtaking, quickly immersing herself in this introspective music. From the soft and simple phrases of the enigmatic Nocturne, she shifted into the demonic Scherzo, delivered with astonishing speed and intensity."
The Strad: Interview: "This concerto was written in a time where he was rejected by anybody and lost his friends. Some of them just disappeared. There was no hope that anybody would play it."

Paul Huang performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Arts Knoxville: "...what one hears is Huang the storyteller. If anything, his KSO visits have revealed an increasing depth of maturity in which he fully commands the narrative. Not only are the storyteller’s periods, commas, and exclamation points in place, but complex plots and descriptions have been filled with subtle meanings."
Violinist.com: "Huang is one of those rare artists who casts a spell and keeps the audience in his thrall. "

Augustin Hadelich performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and conductor Karina Canellakis.

Bach Track: "Hadelich’s ability to draw an audience into his world really sets him apart. The cadenza, ending with an open G telling a thousand tales, captivated the hall. I sat transfixed. The precision and economy in his playing was a joy, with a tremendous bow arm and relaxed left hand."

Guy Braunstein performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto with Benjamin Zander conducting the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Boston Classical Review: "Braunstein’s charisma generally carried the day."

Noa Wildschut performed Britten's Violin Concerto with Konzerthausorchester in Berlin.

Music OMH: "...it was perhaps in the work’s final movement, especially in the coda which starts like a prayer yet ends in a cry of anguish, where her deep emotional connection to the work really shone through, producing a stream of languid, yet impassioned tone. All in all this was a remarkable interpretation of this arresting concerto by this 23 year old Dutch violinist – rightly cheered to the echo by an appreciative audience."

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective performed in recital with clarinetist Carlos Ferreira at Wigmore Hall.

The Arts Desk: "...the slow movement (of Dora Pejacevic’s Piano Quartet in D minor), with its echoes of Elgar and the Edwardian parlour song, was magical and rapt. It is unashamedly sentimental, which vein the players indulged just enough, while still taking the music seriously: it made for captivating listening."

Bassist Edgar Meyer performed in recital with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Joshua Roman at Cal Performances in UC Berkeley’s Hertz Hall.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "Astonishingly, the three players had memorized the entire two-hour program, which gave each piece a clarity of ensemble and a feeling of freedom and connection."

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 472: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Paul Huang; Augustin Hadelich

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