Kavakos’ great success
So many violinists have crossed my path in the past that I inevitably have created in my mind a “list” as it were of the ones whom I admire greatly, and the “others”, whom I admire somewhat less. Today, after I heard Mr. Kavakos perform the Beethoven violin concerto with Zubin Mehta conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, Mr. Kavakos was “transferred” into my Category I list.
Mr. Kavakos’ performance impressed me with its purity of sound, simplicity of presentation, great musical phrasing, and his deep understanding of the structure of this composition. In the first movement, this music is almost entirely given to the orchestra, and the violin soloist provides wonderful “ornamentation” of the orchestra’s stated themes. While this music changes later on, Mr. Kavakos, in collaboration with Zubin Mehta presented a terrific understanding of these changing roles, and the listener benefitted from a spectacular reading of this masterpiece.
Here is the Beethoven: Violin Concerto, with Kavakos • Mehta • Berliner Philharmoniker
And now, here’s a very interesting conversation with Leonidas Kavakos on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
Tags: Leonidas Kavakos, Beethoven, Zubin Mehta