The Week in Reviews, Op. 65: Yevgeny Kutik, James Ehnes, Caroline Goulding in Concert

Written by Robert Niles
Published: January 13, 2015 at 8:52 PM [UTC]

Yevgeny Kutik performed Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.

• The Boston Musical Intelligencer: "...right away, when the notes of the opening G-minor melody issued forth as reflectively reminiscing, Kutik distanced himself from his generation of outspoken and aggressive violinists. This, in itself, is remarkable. Such simplicity reappeared in the first theme of the Andante assai with Kutik’s unfettered singing on the violin, a language of dignity and humility."
• The Arts Fuse: "Best of all, he clearly has an affinity for this music and for Prokofiev’s mercurial style. Kutik’s playing throughout was never hesitant, always questing. In his hands, the first movement sounded almost improvisational, withdrawing in quieter passages only to burst out with sudden, fresh gestures: like flights of ideas that are surely rational yet also seem spur-of-the-moment. The middle movement sang sweetly. And the finale danced vigorously, even if the ensemble work over its closing pages, with their complex metrical shifts, was sometimes tentative."

James Ehnes performed the Mendelssohn with the New World Symphony.

• South Florida Classical Review: "Of Ehnes’ virtuosity, there was no question, and he played without a trace of effort to disturb the smooth surface. But beyond that he brought an early Romantic sensibility to the performance, playing in an expressive but compact manner that brought out the concerto’s youthful vulnerability and high spirits....Rarely will an encore eclipse the main event, but Ehnes’ performance of the Allegro assai from Bach’s Sonata No. 3 for solo violin came close."

Caroline Goulding performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

• Nashville Scene: "In Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, Debus and his soloist, violinist Caroline Goulding, gave a performance that was almost too intimate for my tastes. Goulding played with minimum vibrato, creating a sound that was luminous but small."

Nicolas Dautricourt performed the Mendelssohn with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

• Detroit Free Press: "Where the opening movement can find violinists slipping into taffy-pull phrasing and over emoting, Dautricourt instead played with a lithe elegance, forward momentum and structural clarity, as if Mendelssohn's inspired melodies needed no special pleading."

Valeriy Sokolov performed Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 with the Seattle Symphony.

• Seattle Times: "...he gave a fine performance that featured an incisive, robust tone and a strong, steady bow, as well as a few intonation problems. "

Augustin Hadelich performed the Tchaikovsky with the Pacific Symphony.

• Orange County Register: "...he gave us long-breathed phrases in beautiful tone, balanced, poised, and confident. He seemed to let the music speak for itself, but there was a deep but subtle shaping going on, as if he were holding the music in his hand as if it were a bird, firmly, but not too firmly."

Marc Bouchkov performed the Sibelius with the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

• Leader-Post: "The 23-year old violinist was remarkable, playing with a soulfulness that belied his age. In the concerto, his expert technique was on display as the Sibelius required him to do a significant amount of intricate fingering during his soloing."

Andrew Sords performed works by Beethoven, Prokofiev, and Khachaturian, in recital with pianist Brian Wentzel.

• The Morning Journal: "Sords proves the master of intricate, seemingly-technically-impossible passages..."

Itzhak Perlman performed the Beethoven with the Pacific Symphony.

• Orange County Register: "...none of the blemishes mattered much. He revealed an easy way with the decorative lines in the first movement, dashing, feinting, sketching lightly and gracefully. He imbued the slow movement with the simplicity it required. The finale unwound in a lilting gait, skipping with joy, Perlman’s phrasing buoyant, unforced. The entire performance, what’s more, had a feeling of rapt concentration, a feeling only bolstered by the violinist as he listened intently to the orchestra as it played."

Please support music in your community by attending a concert or recital whenever you can!

You might also like:

• Violinist.com interview with Yevgeny Kutik: 'Defiance'
• Andrew Sords' blog on Violinist.com
• Interview with Marc Bouchkov, Winner of the 2013 Montreal International Musical Competition