The Week in Reviews, Op. 397: Rachel Barton Pine and Jessie Montgomery; Paul Huang; Anne Sophie Mutter

April 25, 2023, 6:46 PM · In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world.

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine and violinist/composer Jessie Montgomery.

Rachel Barton Pine and Jessie Montgomery performed the world premiere of Montgomery’s Musings for two violins at Chicago's MusicNOW series.

Chicago Classical Review: "No mean fiddler in her own right, Montgomery held her own in the bravura department alongside her colleague—joined with the incisive Barton Pine in warm flights of lyricismor or simply cutting loose in high-energy fiddle pyrotechnics."

Paul Huang performed Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy with the Taiwan Philharmonic Orchestra at the Kennedy Center..

Washington Classical Review: "Huang’s superlative technique sparked the Finale with an edge of excitement."

Anne-Sophie Mutter performed Thomas Adès' "Air" with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The Arts Fuse: "Throughout its 13 minutes, lines weave together with mesmerizing formal logic. But it also sings and shimmers, each phrase an echo of the former. Mutter’s line glowed through the soft fog of strings, a vital part of the collective without being subsumed by it."

Melissa White performed Florence Price Violin Concerto No. 2 with the National Philharmonic.

Violinist.com: "The juxtaposition of (Melissa's) sensitivity and...“effortless mastery” of virtuosic passages made for a truly spellbinding performance, one that received a long and well-deserved standing ovation."

Sirena Huang performed Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

Courier & Press: "To be honest, the concert could have been called “Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto,” so thrilling was the performance of heralded soloist Sirena Huang with the capable participation of the EPO."

Bomsori Kim performed Szymanowki’s First Violin Concerto with the National Orchestra of Wales .

The Guardian: "South Korean Bomsori Kim was the impassioned soloist."

The Danish String Quartet performed works by Schubert at Zankel Hall.

The New York Times: "At Zankel Hall on Thursday, that spirit of repetition — oblique and constantly transforming — coursed through the third installment of the Danish String Quartet’s 'Doppelgänger' project, which pairs Schubert’s late quartets with new commissions, and closes with an arrangement of a lied: in this case, “Gretchen.”"

Randall Goosby performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Royal National Scottish Orchestra.

The Scotsman: "...here he was, live with the RSNO, his breathtaking delivery – perfection meets panache – giving Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto a fresh, exhilarating lick of paint."

Emily Sun performed the world premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin's Fantasie im Wintergarten with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

Arts Hub: "Each of the three movements had a particular style and made its own demands on the orchestra and the soloist, with frequent and dramatic changes. As always, Sun brought the music to life and imbued it with deep emotion."

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Replies

Elisabeth Matesky

April 27, 2023 at 10:03 AM · Re ~ 'The Arts Fuse' Review ~ Anne Sophie Mutter in Thomas Ades' "Air" with The Boston Symphony Orchestra. {#1}

The Review supposedly of Anne Sophie Mutter in the premiere of Thomas Ades' "Air" contains a vaguely written portrayal of a major composer for a major Violinist, Anne Sophie Mutter, yet whomever 'painted' the wistful critique, ended re Mutter: ".. and was not subsumed by it."

What in the world does 'Subsumed' mean, Prey Tell!!? Or is it a typo when going to the Violinist.com Press?! As a veteran violin soloist, one has never before seen nor heard of a word, 'subsumed' and it does attract attention yet distracts via the recent oddly weird insert when expressing the musical 'gist' of Ades' new work sounding to me as a 'galactic etheral' dreamy new Score!? More of The Arts Fuse critique would be helpful!

~ Yours musically with sincerity from Chicago ~

............. Elisabeth Matesky ...............

Fwd ~ dmg {#1} 27th of April, 2 0 2 3

Laurie Niles

April 27, 2023 at 03:20 PM · I think he’s trying to say the soloist was not drowned out by the orchestra, comparing the violin solo line visually to something that glows through a soft fog (the orchestra).

Elisabeth Matesky

April 29, 2023 at 04:13 PM · ~ @Laurie Niles, Editor, Violinist.com ~ {#3} Re: I sort of sensed it & maybe understood Yet?!

Dear Laurie ~

To be sure, the reviewer has attracted attention using his unusual verbiage to describe a simple idea and perhaps he wished to not 'disturb' a Mood of Anne Sophie Mutter's Live performance and Creation even in print?? Yet, as a veteran concert player - having received tons of Reviews, I've never seen such a Word! Certainly, Thomas Ades and Violinist, Anne Sophie Mutter, warrant greater attention in the critique 'haze' to draw future violin aficionados in to Hear the Ades new (seems to me), 'Dream' for Violin & Full Symphony Orchestra!! Might you mention this to the {may be a young critic?!} and consider offering him a bit of space on your site to add to & elaborate a bit more about various aspects of the only Thirteen Minutes new Score for Violin and Orchestra, which if The BSO thought well enough of it to perform with Superb ASM, many of our Concert Going Audiences will appreciate knowing a bit more!!? {My FB Post garnered interest from some French!}

Seeing a most watched Television Programme last evening, 28th of April, and discussion about 'Only Beethoven' yet with a slight snide hint, I think we, collectively as musicians need to herald our Contemporary Composers i.e., Great One, Thomas Ades, publicly

to politely proclaim the Classical/Contemporary Music Message ~

Thank you for your Response & perfect translation of 'Subsumed'!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Elisabeth Matesky in Chicago ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fwd dmg {#3} 29th April 2023

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