- An Artist’s Growth.
Twelve years ago, I was visiting in Toronto, Canada. As usual, I searched to find an interesting concert while I was there. I remember attending a concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the featured work was the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius. The violin soloist in this work was a young violinist by the name of Lisa Batiashvili.
Her playing was careful, clean, but lacking the strong emotion that is so important in Sibelius’ masterpiece. While I was disappointed, I told myself that this artist had promise, but she needed more experience.
On Saturday, January 31st, 2015 I listened to her again, and this time via a YouTube video, and I was blown away!
She performed the Violin concerto by Johannes Brahms in a manner that I had never heard it done before. And she played beautifully; she was totally secure, confident, and exhibited huge emotional power in performing Brahms’ masterpiece.
Time, hard work, performing experience, the right teachers, and locating the appropriate musical partners certainly made the difference.
Ms. Batiashvili is now 36 years old. In the video that I heard (see below) the first movement cadenza was new to me, and it was apparently composed by Ferruccio Busoni. The solo violin is accompanied only by the tympani, which created a dramatic addition to the cadenza of the concerto.
The second movement was beautifully lyrical, and Brahms’ final movement was explosive and exciting to the end.
Ms. Batiashvili plays a violin crafted in 1739 by Guarneri del Gesù, and lent to her by a private collector.
Here is Lisa Batiashvili in the Brahms Violin Concerto, recorded at a live performance:
A totally satisfying and terrific performance.
Tags: Lisa Batiashvili, Brahms violin concerto, Ferruccio Busoni, Guarneri del Gesù