The Week in Reviews, Op. 447: Hilary Hahn; Paul Huang; Jonathan Vinocour

April 30, 2024, 2:40 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 Hilary Hahn with Gustavo Dudamel, following her performance with the New York Philharmonic. Photo by Chris Lee, courtesy of the NY Phil.

Hilary Hahn performed Ginastera’s Violin Concerto with the New York Philharmonic and incoming music Music Director Gustavo Dudamel.

New York Times: "A musician of poise and rounded tone, Hahn proved in the Ginastera that she can make just about anything sound beautiful. In her interpretation, the piece shed its acrid angularity. She folded trills, stops and sweet harmonics into unbroken lines, and when she harmonized with herself, she utilized the plushness and patience familiar from her Bach recordings."
New York Classical Review: "Her technique was towering, from getting an enormous, tactile grain out of the E string to her unerring intonation and articulation of a long, melodic passage entirely in legato double-stops. But not even Hahn’s down-to-earth humanity could rescue this piece from itself."
Bach Track: "Contravening tradition, the concerto begins with a five-minute unaccompanied cadenza. Hahn was arresting and commanding from the onset, giving the solo material – a veritable encyclopedia of violin technique – with searing conviction."

Paul Huang performed Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Stir: "With piercing clarity and poised presence, Huang delivered a deeply personal performance, with eyes closed and an inward focus. "

Jonathan Vinocour performed William Walton's Viola Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony.

San Francisco Classical Voice: "Who wouldn’t want to hear more of SFS principal viola Jonathan Vinocour? He has a way of stretching the sound at the ends of the bow, as a dancer balances while you hold your breath."

Daniel Hope performed works by Franck and Ravel with pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips in St. Paul, Minn.

Star Tribune: "By opening the evening with works by George Enescu and Fritz Kreisler and closing it with a sonata that César Franck wrote for Eugène Ysaÿe, he's trodding the turf of three of history's most masterful violinists. And holding his own quite well, thank you."

Philippe Quint performed Errollyn Wallen’s Violin Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Edinburgh Music Review: "Philippe’s Strad sang clearly at all times....The solo instrument is very much the protagonist, the material alternating between striding and confident, and more contemplative, yet always virtuosic. Every moment held the attention of the listener."
The Times: "Quint himself brought unabashed lyricism to it, clearly having a whale of time, and almost dancing his way through the ebullient finale after bringing gorgeous richness to the ripe melody of the slow movement, the concerto’s definite highlight."

Keila Wakao performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Apollo Ensemble.

The Boston Musical Intelligencer: "Wakao made evident her brilliance from the outset. The low notes took on a woody, resonant sound, while the higher notes sang sweetly. From this point the violin occupies center stage. Wakao delivered melodic material that transformed rapidly from charming, to fiery, to tender and back again."

Josef Špacek performed Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto with the BBC Philharmonic.

The Arts Desk: "Josef Špacek was the soloist with the BBC Philharmonic, in a performance that was marked by soulfully lyrical expression and an approach from him and the orchestra that made every phrase sing."

Carolin Widmann performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Hallé.

Bach Track: "...from her first notes Widmann’s soaring melody floated beautifully over the orchestra. This was a very special performance where the spotlight remained on the soloist. "

Emily Sun performed Korngold' Violin Concerto with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

Limelight: "..she scored in her lyrically poetic rendition of the central 'Romance: Andante.' Sun always produced wonderfully rich tone and unwavering technical accuracy; conductor Johannes Fritzsch and the TSO supplying finely balanced and attentive accompaniment."

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The Week in Reviews, Op. 447: Hilary Hahn; Paul Huang; Jonathan Vinocour

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