CONCERT REVIEW: Sarah Chang treats big crowd
The Cincinnati Enquirer's Janelle Gelfand relates her Friday night experience in this review (April 23, 2005):
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra had one of its largest first-night crowds in recent memory on Friday night. Perhaps it was because Paavo Järvi was back in town for his final three concerts of the season. Or maybe it was because there was the added star power of violinist Sarah Chang.
Either way, they weren't disappointed. Chang wielded considerable virtuosity in Dvorak's Violin Concerto in A Minor. And in Järvi's hands, the precision and balance of Haydn's Symphony No. 97 that opened couldn't have been more of a contrast to Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski's explosive Concerto for Orchestra that concluded the concert.
At 24, Chang, who is Korean-American, has been playing violin for two decades. The well-known former prodigy and student of Dorothy DeLay is now a mature artist who is as mesmerizing to watch as she is to hear.
Not afraid to take risks, she turned in a performance of the Dvorak Violin Concerto that was highly individual and more about intensity than beauty. An emotive performer, Chang projected a throbbing vibrato on her Guarneri del Gesu violin, as she leaned back and swayed through Dvorak's romantic themes.
Though her sound was not big, it was compelling, particularly in the muted slow movement. The dance-like finale sparkled. She almost danced around the stage as she charged through fiendishly difficult passages, stamping her foot in the accents. Järvi and the orchestra supported her seamlessly, and the crowd was on its feet.
For his Concerto for Orchestra, Lutoslawski took his cue from Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, but folk music was merely a starting point for this post-war, sophisticated orchestral showpiece.
It opened with a timpani heartbeat and a repeating theme that grew out of the depths of the orchestra. Järvi's view was intense, relentlessly driving and rich in contrasting colors. The way the first movement, after so much power, faded away to a ringing bell and a little folk tune, was simply stunning.
The slow movement, a delicate scherzo colored by piano, harp and celeste, had both spectacular precision and spontaneity. The finale had a kind of shattering power and raw energy, interrupted by a breathtaking chorale, an island of serenity, at its center.
Although the piece is extraordinarily demanding, the musicians turned in a supercharged performance. They'll record it in early May.
Järvi also introduced Lutoslawski's "Fanfare for Louisville," composed for the 50th anniversary of the Louisville Orchestra.
The concert repeats at 8 p.m. today. Tickets: (513) 381-3300.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra had one of its largest first-night crowds in recent memory on Friday night. Perhaps it was because Paavo Järvi was back in town for his final three concerts of the season. Or maybe it was because there was the added star power of violinist Sarah Chang.
Either way, they weren't disappointed. Chang wielded considerable virtuosity in Dvorak's Violin Concerto in A Minor. And in Järvi's hands, the precision and balance of Haydn's Symphony No. 97 that opened couldn't have been more of a contrast to Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski's explosive Concerto for Orchestra that concluded the concert.
At 24, Chang, who is Korean-American, has been playing violin for two decades. The well-known former prodigy and student of Dorothy DeLay is now a mature artist who is as mesmerizing to watch as she is to hear.
Not afraid to take risks, she turned in a performance of the Dvorak Violin Concerto that was highly individual and more about intensity than beauty. An emotive performer, Chang projected a throbbing vibrato on her Guarneri del Gesu violin, as she leaned back and swayed through Dvorak's romantic themes.
Though her sound was not big, it was compelling, particularly in the muted slow movement. The dance-like finale sparkled. She almost danced around the stage as she charged through fiendishly difficult passages, stamping her foot in the accents. Järvi and the orchestra supported her seamlessly, and the crowd was on its feet.
For his Concerto for Orchestra, Lutoslawski took his cue from Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, but folk music was merely a starting point for this post-war, sophisticated orchestral showpiece.
It opened with a timpani heartbeat and a repeating theme that grew out of the depths of the orchestra. Järvi's view was intense, relentlessly driving and rich in contrasting colors. The way the first movement, after so much power, faded away to a ringing bell and a little folk tune, was simply stunning.
The slow movement, a delicate scherzo colored by piano, harp and celeste, had both spectacular precision and spontaneity. The finale had a kind of shattering power and raw energy, interrupted by a breathtaking chorale, an island of serenity, at its center.
Although the piece is extraordinarily demanding, the musicians turned in a supercharged performance. They'll record it in early May.
Järvi also introduced Lutoslawski's "Fanfare for Louisville," composed for the 50th anniversary of the Louisville Orchestra.
The concert repeats at 8 p.m. today. Tickets: (513) 381-3300.
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