|
Charleston
Gazette(West Virginia), April 03 2004 The romantic
notion of the violin concerto has kept its allure on concert programs.
The sense of musical contrast remains palpable — one violinist locked
in conflict with a host of musicians that threaten to overwhelm. When the violinist is as slight of frame as Midori, the audience might have extra incentive to root for her. Forget
tiny though. In her first appearance in Charleston, Friday night with
the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra at the Clay Center, she played like
a giant in John Adams' Violin Concerto. The first movement plays the violin
off against a turbulent sea of orchestral tone, waves of chords that climb
and recede with hypnotic irregularity. Midori never let the musical line
drift, drenching Adams' long-spun melody with gorgeous tone. ... The slow movement, a dreamlike Chaconne, may be the best part of the piece. Adams lets the orchestra frame the soloist with ghostly echoing synthesizers and glassy violins on the top and the slow dance of low strings, chimes, bass clarinet and timpani on the bottom. Midori's lyrical playing beautifully captured the ambiguous emotional state of Adams' music while she wove her part gently through [Maestro Grant] Cooper's diaphanous accompaniment. ... The last movement had a strong effect. The climax, layered patterns of three, four and five beats with Midori blazing away above, was dazzling. ... The audience ... showed its appreciation of Midori with four curtain calls in its lengthy standing ovation. |
||