Detroit Symphony concert
- Date: Nov. 7, 2013
At this point in my life, it is a great convenience and enjoyment for me to attend on-line concerts. One cannot improve on the setting. Just sit at your favorite computer, assure that you have a strong network connection, and enjoy!
Yesterday I heard the Detroit Symphony. The performing artists were:
- Leonard Slatkin, conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
- Alexandra Soumm, violin
- Ilana Davidson, soprano (in the Mahler)
The program:
- Cruixent: Cyborg (American premiere)
- Sibelius: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
- Mahler: Symphony No. 4
I only heard the Sibelius Violin concerto. This is a great favorite of mine, because Sibelius himself was a violinist, and he had first – hand knowledge how to compose for the instrument.
Brahms, on the other hand, had to have the assistance of his friend, Joseph Joachim, to help with identifying what passages were actually awkward to perform and needed improvement.
The French violinist Alexandra Soumm was the soloist. I can say that while all the notes were there, somehow I found the performance to be somewhat flat. This music is so emotional; and great care has to be taken to adhere to dynamics that were identified by the composer. And the interplay between soloist and orchestra players must be seamless.
While there were no obvious issues with the music, I kept waiting to be excited, and this never happened. My favorite interpreters of this work are Gil Shaham, Leonidas Kavakos, and Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Here is Alexandra Soumm in Max Bruch’s Concerto n.1 for Violin and Orchestra
And next, here is Alexandra Soumm with Julien Quentin, piano in Ludwig Von Beethoven’s Sonata #1, second movement:
Finally here she is in the cadenza from the first movement of Beethoven’s violin concerto: (Strong performance!)
Tags: Alexandra Soumm, Detroit Symphony concert, Sibelius concerto