Violin magic
EU Celebration: Concert Sayaka Shoji, National Orchestra, MCC
As violin concertos go, Paganini's are not exactly everybody's standard fare. However, the man did know how to weave a web of captivating magic which makes one forget about structure and depth, or lack of it. The seduction is complete when one has a formidable and amazingly talented young lady. Sayaka Shoji - a charming little wisp of a girl, blessed with undoubtedly supreme interpretative qualities, and with an instrument (the "Joachim" Stradivarius, 1715), which did her bidding unconditionally.
The National Orchestra conducted by Michael Laus played its expected role, that of accompanying and propping up the violin part, which takes all the limelight. The violinist's technical wizardry was there, the sheer showing-off of the abundant bravura sections breathtaking, but there was also a lot of sweetness, especially in the adagio espressivo. The limpid and crystalline tone irresistibly lovely contrasted so well with the more robust passages of the outer movements. This was simply a great experience.
The orchestra was on overall expected good form although the introduction to the concert provided by the Polka from Smetana's the Bartered Bride sounded a little bit tame and not as bouncy as it could have been. There was more warmth in the bucolic Act III Intermezzo from Carlo Diacono's opera L'Alpino. A charming and well-crafted piece no doubt but one cannot imagine why back in 1918 it had provoked "wildest outburst of enthusiasm" according to a quote cited in the programme note. I also doubt whether the tempo indications were the right ones as a final rondo vivace never materialised.
These pieces came before the concerto. Maybe who knows, having just experienced playing with such a marvellous soloist everybody on stage was inspired to carry on with even greater enthusiasm. Inspiration is infectious and it showed well in the overture to Wagner's Tannhauser and reached a peak in the last two works. Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice did full justice to the piece's brilliant orchestration and there is no point in singling out which section did which best: whether separately or as a team.
The sense of magic and mischief, spells going wrong, the climactic rushing of water and other elements of the programme were well projected. More magic and colour of another kind endowed the selection of three dances from Falla's El sombrero de tres picos. The Seguidilla of the Neighbours' Dance was followed by the farruca which is The Miller's Dance. The distinct Spanish flavour of the music reached a climax in the jota constituting the final dance. Mro Laus delighted the audience further by giving another Falla piece as an encore: the Ritual Fire Dance.
The National Orchestra conducted by Michael Laus played its expected role, that of accompanying and propping up the violin part, which takes all the limelight. The violinist's technical wizardry was there, the sheer showing-off of the abundant bravura sections breathtaking, but there was also a lot of sweetness, especially in the adagio espressivo. The limpid and crystalline tone irresistibly lovely contrasted so well with the more robust passages of the outer movements. This was simply a great experience.
The orchestra was on overall expected good form although the introduction to the concert provided by the Polka from Smetana's the Bartered Bride sounded a little bit tame and not as bouncy as it could have been. There was more warmth in the bucolic Act III Intermezzo from Carlo Diacono's opera L'Alpino. A charming and well-crafted piece no doubt but one cannot imagine why back in 1918 it had provoked "wildest outburst of enthusiasm" according to a quote cited in the programme note. I also doubt whether the tempo indications were the right ones as a final rondo vivace never materialised.
These pieces came before the concerto. Maybe who knows, having just experienced playing with such a marvellous soloist everybody on stage was inspired to carry on with even greater enthusiasm. Inspiration is infectious and it showed well in the overture to Wagner's Tannhauser and reached a peak in the last two works. Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice did full justice to the piece's brilliant orchestration and there is no point in singling out which section did which best: whether separately or as a team.
The sense of magic and mischief, spells going wrong, the climactic rushing of water and other elements of the programme were well projected. More magic and colour of another kind endowed the selection of three dances from Falla's El sombrero de tres picos. The Seguidilla of the Neighbours' Dance was followed by the farruca which is The Miller's Dance. The distinct Spanish flavour of the music reached a climax in the jota constituting the final dance. Mro Laus delighted the audience further by giving another Falla piece as an encore: the Ritual Fire Dance.