Hilary’s portrait

Hilary Hahn

This  DVD is a documentary of violinist Hilary Hahn traveling around the world and concertizing. Undoubtedly at the top of her profession, Hahn never fails to amaze me with her gorgeous tone, excellent precision, and brilliant musical phrasing.

This DVD “portrait” includes personal film of Hahn backstage at the Philharmonie in Berlin, at the Curtis Institute, where she was a student, as well as at a recording session at Abbey Road Studios, and a trip to Hong Kong.

In an age of music commercialism, Hilary Hahn is refreshingly real and self-deprecating. Included on this DVD are excerpts from the Korngold violin Concerto, the Mozart Sonata for Piano and Violin in G major, The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams, the Chaconne from Partita in D minor by Bach, and the Paganini Concerto No. 1.

On the menu there is additional concerto footage, which includes the Korngold Concerto and Mozart sonata in their entirety

One might buy the DVD for these complete live recordings, because they are absolutely excellent. The outer movements of the Korngold sound somewhat like film music, but the second movement is incredibly beautiful and highly recommended. The Mozart sonata is also very well played, but this is nothing new as Hahn has already released a recording of this music.

This DVD is important because it contains video footage of Hahn performing – the only other DVD where you can find her playing is at the Last Night of the Proms, in which she plays the Mozart Concerto No. 4 in D Major, and the Presto from the Sonata No. 1 by J. S. Bach

Here is a video of the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3, performed by Hilary Hahn
(Cadenzas by Hilary Hahn)

 

http://youtu.be/378fNu_UPbA

 

And here is Hilary Hahn recording Bach with Jeffrey Kahane and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

 

Tags: Hilary Hahn, violinist, Bach, Mozart, documentary

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