The Week in Reviews, Op. 496: Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Yo-Yo Ma; Violist Anne Black

April 15, 2025, 6:09 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. Click on the highlighted links to read the entire reviews.

Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Photo by MarcoBorggreve.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with the New York Philharmonic and Jakub Hruša.

New York Classical Review: "It is still hard to grasp how this violinist, who is one of the great contemporary musicians across all genres, was only now standing in front of the Philharmonic. She is a fabulous instrumentalist, a violinist who plays like a fiddler, and even more a fabulous musical performer....This performance was astonishing, less so for how Kopatchinskaja played the violin then how she played the music, with a complex balance of seriousness, empathy, and fun."
Bach Track: "Kopatchinskaja reveled in the wilder, folk elements of the wide-ranging score, displaying a rugged, rough-edged tone in the gypsy-like sections of the first movement, and a graceful, song-like lyricism in the second and third, both marked Aria."
New York Times: "But her approach to the score is that of a character actor unconcerned with favorable optics. When the drama demands it, Kopatchinskaja is more than happy to dig for ugly sounds including squeals, rattles and the kind of fuzzy whistles called wolf tone..."

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons.

Boston Classical Review: "(Yo-Yo Ma) introduced the work by dedicating the night’s offering to “any who have suffered loss…of health…and…especially of dignity,” and proceeded with an interpretation that was notable for its edgy openness."
Boston Musical Intelligencer: "Ma gave a magisterial and passionate account of this sardonically defiant work which both he and Andris Nelson obviously love."

Violist Anne Black performed Jennifer Higdon's Viola Concerto with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Alyssa Wang.

Boston Classical Review: "Black was fearless in her performance of the solo part, able to make her instrument sing in a smooth sweetness that holds a hint of a granulated texture."

James Ehnes performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Limelight: "His technical command of both his instrument and Brahms’ writing came to the forefront in the cadenza by Joseph Joachim, for whom the concerto was composed, making its demanding shifts and arpeggios seem effortless."

Bomsori Kim performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in Beijing.