The Week in Reviews, Op. 35: James Ehnes, Karen Gomyo, Stefan Jackiw in concert

Written by Robert Niles
Published: June 17, 2014 at 5:29 PM [UTC]

In an effort to promote the coverage of live music, each week Violinist.com brings you links to reviews of notable violin performances from around the world.

James Ehnes performed the Elgar with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

• Vancouver Sun: “This is not a piece for every soloist or every conductor, but it works magnificently for Ehnes, whose sound and temperament were completely in sync with the piece.”

Karen Gomyo performed the Tchaikovsky with the Milwaukee Symphony

• Express Milwaukee: “Besides infinite, fluent technique, Gomyo’s elegant phrasing revealed insightful, captivating artistic touches.”

Stefan Jackiw performed works by Mozart, Lutoslawski, Brahms and more in recital with Anna Polonsky

• Boston Globe: “Brahms’s D-Minor Sonata, connected without pause from the Saariaho, seemed to glow from somewhere behind the notes, as the violinist displayed an uncommonly visceral identification with the passionate sweep of this music, what it is actually trying to say.”

Tasmin Little performed the Walton with the BBC Symphony Orchestra

• The Telegraph: “To the Violin Concerto, completed in 1939 on a commission from the Lithuanian -born virtuoso Jascha Heifetz, Tasmin Little brings a mellifluous glow and a capricious spirit.”

Catherine Manson performed three Beethoven Sonatas in recital with Alasdair Beatson

• Herald Scotland: “Manson's playing, of an astounding clarity of articulation and a wonderful purity of style, revealed more of Beethoven's thinking, approach and intention for the violin sonata as a species than I have heard.”

Jacob Törmä performed the Dvorak with the Eroica Camerata

• Birmingham Post: “Perhaps the soloist should aim for a better known concerto in which he can relax, thus letting his personality shine through.”

Christine Wu performed the Sibelius with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra

• Theater Jones: “Eighteen-year-old Christine Wu’s performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto demonstrated a musical maturity well beyond her age. A strikingly bold sound had no trouble filling the hall while her technical facility allowed easy access to all corners of the single movement presented.”

We'd love to hear about any recent concerts and recitals you've attended. Or just tell us in the comments what you think about these reviews!

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