Image: Maxim Vengerov via Sydney Opera House.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) 2017 Concert season opened in thrilling style with the appearance of acclaimed violinist Maxim Vengerov. Universally hailed as a classical music superstar, Vengerov is even spoken of as the world’s greatest living strings player.
On Friday evening, Vengerov took to the Concert Hall stage for the Violin Concerto in D by Johannes Brahms, an iconic work of the 19th Century Romantic canon. With the SSO’s Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson on the podium, this was a bravura performance.
He may be a superstar, but Vengerov plays without fuss or ornament, an occasional sweeping flourish of his bow his only concession to showmanship. For Vengerov, the music is the whole story.
Venergov’s playing is entrancing, his impressive technique more than matching the difficulty of the score. He plays with more precision than obvious passion, but the music still talks to your soul. With the SSO on fine form, rising and falling around the impressive solos, this was a remarkable performance. As one enraptured concert-goer said to me later, ‘they [SSO] achieved zero gravity’. High praise indeed!
The ebullient final movement left the audience breathless and cheering for more. The audience’s hearty appreciation was rewarded with a wonderful solo encore of Bach’s delightful Sarabande.
After the interval, the SSO gave a marvellous reading of the Symphony No. 5 in E minor by Tchaikovsky. Under Robertson’s charismatic leadership, they gave a performance full of clarity, careful expression, and beautiful nuance. The clarinets and horns were especially expressive. And the finale was thrilling, even if the composer himself thought it ‘horrible and vulgar’.
And given the ongoing discussion about renovations to the Opera House, it’s worth noting that the Concert Hall acoustics were perfect on this occasion, adding a touch of warmth to the music.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Vengerov plays Brahms
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor David Robertson
Soloist Maxim Vengerov
Two performances only, Friday 17 February and Saturday 18 February at the Sydney Opera House (Friday performance reviewed).
