patrikpen: Innate Musicality in M&V 13 March

mercoledì 16 agosto 2017

Innate Musicality in M&V 13 March

Innate Musicality

The Eight Seasons of
Vivaldi and Piazzolla -
recommended by
GIUSEPPE PENNISI

'... Yury Revich is a superb soloist, a real virtuoso with tremendous imagination and a splendid use of his instrument.'

8 Seasons - Vivaldi / Piazzolla / Yuri Revich. © 2015 Ars Produktion

During my recent musical trip to the Holy Land (Peace through Music, 25 December 2016), I was highly impressed by a young violinist, Yury Revich. Revich is the ECHO Klassik 2016 winner as 'Newcomer of the Year' and the International Classical Music Awards' Young Artist of the Year 2015. He is also the Beethoven Center in Vienna's Musician of the Year. In 2014-15 Revich had his debuts at Tokyo's Metropolitan Arts Space, La Scala in Milan and at the Zürich Tonhalle. He had his Mexican, Berliner Philharmonie, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Konzerthaus Berlin and Cadogan Hall London debuts in the last season. Coming concerts include Musikverein Vienna, Konzerthaus Vienna and Konzerthaus Berlin. Revich has been performing on the Stradivari 'Princess Aurora' since February 2016. The violin dates from 1709 and is placed at his disposal by the Goh Family Foundation Singapore. In continental Europe, Revich, who elected Vienna as his permanent residence, is nicknamed 'the Russian Paganini'. Incidentally, one of his recordings is titled Paganini Live in Tokyo.

Although I generally review live performances for Music & Vision, I asked Revich to send me a sample of his recordings. In my view, they are generally impressive. The most interesting and innovative is The Eight Seasons in which Vivaldi's music is intertwined with Piazzolla's as well as with Latin American poems. Revich performs with the Kurpfälz Chamber Orchestra conducted by Johannes Schlaefli. Even though the recording (ARS 38 170) is some fifteen months old, it is a quite remarkable blend of eighteenth and twentieth century music. The CD is included in the selection that can be listened to on long distance Lufthansa flights.

Whilst Vivaldi conceived his Four Seasons as a cycle of three movement concerti, Piazzolla combines his own suite only after composing loose descriptions of the four seasons. The intermingling of the movements was the idea of violinist Gidon Kremer who recorded them in 1999. More significantly, Vivaldi's violin and chamber orchestra concerti are serene and the listener is left with a sense of peace, whereas Piazzolla's description of nature is highly dramatic. The difference is felt from the very beginning in comparing the depiction of Spring by the two composers.

Listen — Vivaldi: initial Allegro (La Primavera) (Le Quattro Stagioni)
(track 2, 0:28-1:02) © 2015 Ars Produktion:

Listen — Piazzolla: Verano Porteño (Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas)
(track 6, 0:16-0:55) © 2015 Ars Produktion:

Also interesting is how differently Winter is felt by Vivaldi and Piazzolla.

Listen — Vivaldi: Allegro non molto (L'Inverno) (Le Quattro Stagioni)
(track 20, 0:01-1:04) © 2015 Ars Produktion:

Listen — Piazzolla: Invierno Porteño (Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas)
(track 18, 0:01-1:19) © 2015 Ars Produktion:

On this recording, the Kurpfälz Chamber Orchestra led by Johannes Schlaefli is top notch, but Yury Revich is a superb soloist, a real virtuoso with tremendous imagination and a splendid use of his instrument. He is especially remarkable in the final Allegro of Vivaldi's L'Autunno.

Listen — Vivaldi: final Allegro (L'Autunno) (Le Quattro Stagioni)
(track 16, 1:46-2:40) © 2015 Ars Produktion:

There the violinist's dialogue with the orchestra is at the same time joyous and delicate and acquires also the tenderness of a dance.

Revich is only in his mid twenties but already has fleet-fingered dexterity and innate musicality. A star is born.