By T.L. PONICK

Next, popular violinist Midori joined maestro Slatkin and the [National Symphony Orchestra] in a performance of Bartók's quirky 2nd Violin Concerto, which dates from the late 1930s. With its constant tempo shifts and atonal excursions only occasionally relieved by welcome interludes of late-20th-century romantic lyricism, this concerto is not an easy work to love. However, Bartók's imaginative use of the solo harp, which blends with the violin to create intimate, chamber-music interludes, is a brilliant stroke. It leads to some of the finest moments in the concerto, particularly in the autumnal second movement.

Midori's playing was intense, assured and polished throughout. She clearly was comfortable with this difficult work and its many mood shifts, imbuing the concerto's spikier moments with deeper layers of meaning. A hat tip as well to long-time NSO principal harpist Dotian Levalier, whose frequent, subtle mini-collaborations with Midori provided this performance with its emotional core.