Yesterday's Boston Symphony concert included a seldom performed work by Beethoven, Concerto in C for piano, violin and cello. For me it was the highlight of the all-Beethoven concert largely because of the dynamism of the piano player, a twenty-five-year-old kid named Jonathan Biss. He was so enthusiastic I was convinced that he would catapult himself from the piano bench. But he was more than enthusiastic, he was very good. Imagine being twenty-five and appearing not only with the BSO but with most of the major orchestras in this country as well as several abroad. It looks as though we'll be hearing more from him as time goes by.
The violinist, Miriam Fried, playing a 1718 Stradivarius, was also a 'showman'. At times, she seemed to be in a wrestler's crouch. In addition, she was quite talented.
Come to find out when I read the program, Miriam is Jonathan's mother. He got his talent from his mother and his father, Paul Biss, who is also a well-regarded violinist.
1 comment:
I often find performances by young musicians more exhilarating than those played by their more mature counterparts. Sarah Chang, the virtuoso violinist, was a stunning performer at the age of nine, and my favorite Mahler V recording is of Rudolph Barshai conducting the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie.
For me, enthusiasm and sheer joy for the music are more important than the greater technical abilities of older musicians, some of whom - particularly among orchestra members - can occasionally seem somewhat boring and automated in their renditions. Although that was obviously not the case with Miriam Fried.
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