After tonight's concert one can see why MGT has wowed Birmingham. She is very much smaller than she appears in publicity photos but she is a ball of energy on the podium .
The concert opened with Messaien Un Sourire . This late work was new to me and I am not sure how smiley I found it . Very well played though .
The real attraction of this concert for me was to hear Vilde Frang in the Elgar Violin Concerto . I know she was due to play it in Italy with Jeffrey Tate but sadly he died the week before . I have not seen any concert brochures in which she played it before . No matter this was a stupendous performance completely idiomatic and I cannot recal ever hearing it better played her accompanied cadenza was dazzlingly beautiful and the slow movement a delight . She gave us such variation of tone throughout digging powerfully into the main theme of the first movement yet wonderful quiet playing too . The CBSO were in great form and although I was a bit worried by a big ritardando for the second theme in the first movement MGT seemed otherwise to give a highly sympathetic accompaniment . Warner should get Vilde Frang to follow up her Britten with this . It was a performance that had me feeling this is the most beautiful violin concerto of all .
The second half saw a very exciting and charming account of the Pastoral . In particular the Peasants really seemed to be having one hell of a party and a properly exciting Storm .
To finish an unexpected and gemutlich account of the Pizzicato Polia for an encore . A great concert and the CBSO appear to have hit bullseye again with this conductor .
The concert opened with Messaien Un Sourire . This late work was new to me and I am not sure how smiley I found it . Very well played though .
The real attraction of this concert for me was to hear Vilde Frang in the Elgar Violin Concerto . I know she was due to play it in Italy with Jeffrey Tate but sadly he died the week before . I have not seen any concert brochures in which she played it before . No matter this was a stupendous performance completely idiomatic and I cannot recal ever hearing it better played her accompanied cadenza was dazzlingly beautiful and the slow movement a delight . She gave us such variation of tone throughout digging powerfully into the main theme of the first movement yet wonderful quiet playing too . The CBSO were in great form and although I was a bit worried by a big ritardando for the second theme in the first movement MGT seemed otherwise to give a highly sympathetic accompaniment . Warner should get Vilde Frang to follow up her Britten with this . It was a performance that had me feeling this is the most beautiful violin concerto of all .
The second half saw a very exciting and charming account of the Pastoral . In particular the Peasants really seemed to be having one hell of a party and a properly exciting Storm .
To finish an unexpected and gemutlich account of the Pizzicato Polia for an encore . A great concert and the CBSO appear to have hit bullseye again with this conductor .
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