The Week in Reviews, Op. 479: Gil Shaham, Randall Goosby, Leonidas Kavakos

December 11, 2024, 10:41 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.

Violinist Gil Shaham.

Gil Shaham playing Dvorak’s Violin Concerto with the Czech Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov at Carnegie Hall.

New York Classical Review: "Shaham’s playing was remarkable in a subtle way. His expressive attitude developed from that opening gnarliness into a fascinating musical journey through moods. And his own warm sound was such a perfect match for the orchestra that he could have been playing in, and disappearing into, the violin section. Yet the feeling of size in his playing, the dimensions of the feelings he was channeling through the instrument, always projected outward."
Bach Track: "Gil Shaham’s exceptionally warm, amber-toned sound blended beautifully with the orchestra’s. His remarkable ability to spin and caress melodies found an ideal vehicle for expression in Dvorák’s score. Whether melancholic or merry, Shaham’s violin was never overly assertive, and the dialogues with the woodwinds remained consistently well balanced, with bravura never being the objective"

Randall Goosby performed Barber's Violin Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Patrick Hahn.

Bach Track: "American violinist Randall Goosby, this season’s Artist-in-Residence, made the lyrical opening sing sweetly, full of warm intimate tone especially on the lower strings."
Edinburgh Guide: "American Randall Goosby was full of confidence for Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto. And, as predicted, its second movement was full of emotion to be followed by the final highly energetic movement."

Leonidas Kavakos performed Brahms' Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "Kavakos’s tone wasn’t the ripest one might encounter, but his phrasing ebbed and flowed masterfully, often creating suspense as he crept around the corners of the line."

Anne Akiko Meyers performed in recital with pianist Fabio Badini in Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre.

Santa Barbara Independent: "The pair navigated the “Spring Sonata” score with passion and precision in the right degrees, and in the slower movement, Meyers achieved the quality of “singing” through her instrument. The piece offers generous amounts of instrumental dialogue, boldly realized in this inspired pairing."
The Montecito Journal: "An extraordinary musician…"

Curtis Stewart performed Julia Perry’s Violin Concerto with the Experiential Orchestra and James Blachly.

Washington Classical Review: "...(performing) on one of the Library of Congress’s cherished historical instruments, the exquisite Guarneri violin made around 1730 and formerly played by Fritz Kreisler....Stewart introduced the concerto with a singing exercise, first demonstrated by the orchestra and then imitated by the audience.... The middle section of the piece, a more neoclassical slow movement in the same vein as her Prelude, proved the best part of a piece..."

Stefan Jackiw performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major with the National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin and Hans Graf.

Bach Track: "American violinist Stefan Jackiw impressed and surprised in equal measure: firstly, his use of open strings was very daring as was his absence of vibrato. However, he shaped the raw purity of this melody with exquisite lyricism. In an instant, this stillness was broken and he was bounding through the lively semiquavers with great nimbleness and soaring up to the longer, higher notes."

Alexi Kenney performed the three violin sonatas of Robert Schumann with pianist Amy Yang.

Times Union: "The dynamic violinist Alexi Kenney with pianist Amy Yang brought thoughtful expression and elegant style to the three violin sonatas of Robert Schumann..."

Nicholas Wright performed the world premiere of Linda Catlin Smith’s "Mountain" with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Create a Stir: "The evocative piece set lyrical solo violin, performed with exquisite care by concertmaster Nicholas Wright, amidst an ever-shifting expanse of textures and tones that slowly ebbed and flowed."

Aylen Pritchin performed Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No 2, Op. 63 with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

A Young(ish) Perspective: "..the star quality of Aylen was mesmerising, performing with skill and panache...throughout the Concerto. Dreamy and sinister elements went hand-in-hand, with trepidatious timpani building suspense. "

Leader Eugene Tzikindelean performed Elgar’s Violin Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Arcana: "Tzikindelean was more fully at home with the central Andante, its variously reflective and heartfelt melodies drawn into a seamless continuity enhanced by a notably beguiling response from the CBSO woodwind. Whether or not the most profound of Elgar’s slow movement, this is arguably his most perfectly achieved."

Iohan Coman, 23, of Romania won first prize at the 2024 Mieczyslaw Wajnberg International Violin Competition.

The Strad: "Coman played Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto no.1 with the Karol Szymanowski Academic Symphony Orchestra in the final round, which took place at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. "

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Richard Pairaudeau

December 11, 2024 at 07:11 PM · One of the soloists...'creat[ed] suspense as he crept around the corners of the line.'

I wish I'd been there to see how this is done.

Jake Watson

December 11, 2024 at 08:55 PM · One I have attended in the last week or so was Pavel Sporcl at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London with English Chamber Orchestra. He played Dvorak concerto with Saint-Saens Introduction & Rondo Capricioso with an encore of Bach. Was one of my favourite concerts since January this year!

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 479: Gil Shaham, Randall Goosby, Leonidas Kavakos

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