The Week in Reviews, Op. 172: Arabella Steinbacher, Yevgeny Kutik, Leonidas Kavakos

By Laurie Niles: In an effort to promote the coverage of live violin performance, Violinist.com each week presents links to reviews of notable concerts and recitals around the world. Arabella Steinbacher performed the Hindemith with the San Francisco Symphony.

• The San Francisco Chronicle: "Thursday’s performance was, at any rate, the most eloquent and committed one a listener could imagine. The soloist, violinist Arabella Steinbacher, played everything with a combination of radiant intensity and dramatic force."

Yevgeny Kutik performed Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

• The Republican: "On Saturday, he both demanded and commanded our attention. Aggressive attacks and heroic exits were balanced by dreamy, vibrato-less entrances and filmy, tapered diminuendos."

Leonidas Kavakos performed the Berg with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

• The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Astonishing as always, the violinist is ideally suited to the piece. His attention to details was fastidious and finely calibrated."

Benjamin Schmid performed the Korngold with the Naples Philharmonic.

• Naples Daily News: "Schmid treated the work as a visit with an old friend. He played lithely and coolly, without synthetic drama, adding a little head-bobbing here or there when he was obviously enjoying the orchestral portions."

Francesca Dego performed the Wolf-Ferrari with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

• Birmingham Post:
• The Arts Desk: "She unflinchingly climbed the stratospheres into which the composer repeatedly sent her, her intonation had a steely accuracy tempered by gorgeous tone from her full-throated violin, and her virtuosity encompassed all that Wolf-Ferrari wrung from his soloist."

Chloe Hanslip performed the Korngold with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra.

• The Argus: "The final Korngold piece was a lively romp, again interspersed with dizzying, hugely impressive work from Hanslip."

Alexandra Soumm performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with The Philharmonia Orchestra.

• Cambridge News: "...this astonishing 27 year old virtuoso...lived it completely, heart and soul, through the very movements of her body and expression.

Arnaud Sussmann performed the Brahms with the Alabama Symphony.

• ArtsBHAM: "The 32-year-old violinist Arnaud Sussmann brought unabashed freedom to Brahms’ Violin Concerto, controlled yet spontaneous, framed by delicacy, sweetness and technical prowess."

Stefan Jackiw performed the Korngold with the Grand Rapids Symphony.

• Revue: "Stefan Jackiw gave a passionate and fearless performance of Korngold’s 'Violin Concerto in D Major.'"

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