The New York Times, 11 Sept 04

By JAMES OESTREICH

"...Midori, the guest soloist in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, was also playing an invaluable instrument: a 1734 Guarneri del Gesu, on lifetime loan to her from the Hayashibara Foundation. In a piece that she has undoubtedly played a few times too often, she seemed admirably engaged, as if constantly trying to test her own limits and that of her instrument, all in the cause of expressiveness.

She produced remarkably quiet sounds that were nevertheless intense and fully present; remarkably attenuated sounds that were nevertheless lovely. But she could also summon raucous attacks, as in the accelerating peasant dance in the finale. And the many violinistic tricks were as much child's play for her here as they used to be, literally, in her prodigy days.[...]"