Finally, A Memorable Performance

Once again, I'm ridiculously not on-time about writing about the Seattle Symphony performance I attended last Saturday. Initially I had my doubts about this concert, as Hillary Hahn had pulled out of the performance, citing a medical concern at the advice of her physician. In her stead was Philippe Quint, a Leningrad-born violinist who I had previously never head play, whether it be live or on a recording.

Dvořák and the New World
Saturday, October 4, 2014
8:00 PM

Lollapalooza - John Adams

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 - Erich Korngold
Moderato nobile
Romance
Finale

Philippe Quint, Violin

-Intermission-

Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World" - Anton Dvořák
Adagio-Allegro Molto
Largo
Scherzo: Molto vivace
Allegro con fuoco

My aversion to more modern works was not reduced by the performance of Lollapalooza. It seems to me just to be a bunch of noise, with the composer more concerned about following a set of rules than creating something people want to listen to. This was all put to rest with Quint's performance of the Korngold violin concerto. While I'm not a big fan of the particular piece, Quint's mastery of the violin, in both the technical and artistic sense, was phenomenal. It was the first time in recent memory where I couldn't sense any unnecessary nervousness or tension in the music. He was able to fill the auditorium with incredible warmth and his spiccato was both articulate and penetrating. If you get a chance to listen to him play I would take it and not look back. The New World Symphony saw the Seattle Symphony play its characteristic good, but not great style or seeming to play as a group of individuals instead of as one body.