Violinist's gusto was exhilaratingly unique
By MIKE GREENBERG

It's remarkable how a gifted performer can repeat the same old words of the same old story in the same old order and yet make the whole thing sound absolutely fresh, alive and contemporary.

That's what the violinist Midori did with the Tchaikovsky Concerto in D, one of the most familiar works in the repertoire, with the San Antonio Symphony in the Majestic Theater on Friday night.

Though Tchaikovsky's concerto is famously demanding and affords plenty of opportunities for superficial showboating, Midori got deep inside the music and crafted a highly personal, introspective performance, and one of fearless intensity.

Her generous sculpting of tempo and dynamics occasionally bordered on the willful, but her will always seemed rooted in conviction about the music's meaning.

From her Guarnerius del Gesu instrument, Midori drew a sound of huge substance and rich grain [.].