Ray Chen's Sibelius Showdown

[Sue U]

Okay, is this too nerd-geeky? Because I really love how superstar Ray Chen breaks down 4 other violinists' performances of the Sibelius Violin Concerto (well, the first movement, anyway), looking at the differences in their technique and approach to the music. (Featuring Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Hilary Hahn and Maxim Vengerov.) Is this something that interests most people, or even many people, or is it just me and the weirdos in the comments?



And for comparison (if you actually ARE interested), here is Ray's performance, which I think is great but he turns it up to 11 nearly the whole freakin' time. I mean, I get it, the piece *is* wildly over-the-top in a lot of ways, and he just runs with it.



I also really like this no-stick conductor, Kent Nagano. He's super-clear and has a nice touch.

ETA:

Oh, Kent Nagano is a really interesting guy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Nagano

[Big RR]

This is interesting; I will have to watch the whole thing when I have the time. Actually, I love Sarah Chang's playing style--I saw her a while back and was entranced (her CDs are good as well).

[Sue U]

Actually, I love Sarah Chang's playing style--I saw her a while back and was entranced (her CDs are good as well).

Sarah Chang is great, and she's definitely in my personal Top 10 Violinists, but for whatever reason she doesn't make my heart stop like Hilary Hahn does. Her fans are rabid, though, and legion.

A young violinist to keep your eye on (if you do that kind of thing) is Aubree Oliverson, who I recently saw in a video clip doing the Tchaikovsky concerto with the Columbus Symphony. Super charismatic and clearly having a great time. I can't get her YouTube videos to embed, but here's a link to a compilation of performance clips:

https://youtu.be/lci1C6mt_qQ?list=RDlci1C6mt_qQ

Oh hey, there's Gil Shaham right in the middle of this thing (around 12:45) playing the Bach Double with her and then some other thing I don't know.

What impresses me most is that at 22 (she's now like 26, I think) she did this performance of the Bach Chaconne. Not only is it beautifully executed, her interpretation is so very nuanced and personal it is obvious that she has given it an awful lot of very deep thought.

ETA:

Oh hey, she's coming to Princeton in October (Dvorak VC) and she's playing with the Ridgefield Symphony in December (Saint Saens Rondo Capriccioso and a new work by Salvatore Di Vittorio, a composer and conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of NY). I think I'll go to the Princeton show.

[Big RR]

That sounds interesting; when in October?

[Sue U]

October 25 and 26.

https://princetonsymphony.org/calendar

[Big RR]

Wow--pretty full already; I have to check and get tickets soon.

[Sue U]

I got mine for the Saturday night performance; it looks like the Sunday matinee is already all but sold out. Tickets only went on sale last week, so I guess this is a pretty hot show for those in the know. I've been to Princeton for various concerts (although not the Princeton Symphony), but they've always been at the McCarter Theater; the Richardson Auditorium seats fewer than 900, so it's about 20% smaller than the McCarter. With that small a room nearly every seat is gonna feel like a front-row seat.