The restless solo theme that opens Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto is among the most memorable passages in music. Though its early appearance in the concerto surprised listeners at its 1845 premiere, they quickly embraced the haunting melody and all that followed.
The first great violin concerto of the Romantic era was born, and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto has been a favorite of violinists and audiences ever since.
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The Utah Symphony’s ‘Musical Offering’
The orchestra plays in Park City and Salt Lake City this week with Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma and music director Thierry Fischer.
Where » Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City
When » Thursday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Where » Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City
When » Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11, 8 p.m.
Tickets » $17-$51 ($5 more on performance day; student discounts available) at 801-355-ARTS or www.usuo.org. Season ticket holders and those desiring group discounts should call 801-533-NOTE.
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"It’s always a breath of fresh air," said Simone Lamsma, the Dutch violinist who will play the concerto in her Utah Symphony debut this week in Park City and Salt Lake City. "It is charming and has such beautiful melodies. There is sparkling virtuosity in it, but what I think is so wonderful is that it touches young and old alike. It’s a concerto for everybody."
Lamsma, 26, is a seasoned artist who already had a thriving concert career before making brilliant showings at several of the world’s important violin competitions while still in her early 20s. Demand for her appearances continues to increase.
She said she always has been very serious about music, planning for a professional career from a young age. "I am very happy and lucky to doing what I am," she said.
Lamsma performs on an unusual cornerless Stradivarius violin shaped like a guitar. The 1718 "ex Chano-Chardon" was played previously by violin superstar Joshua Bell and is on loan to Lamsma from an anonymous benefactor.
"I think many Stradivarius violins are known for their beautiful soprano quality, and this certainly has that," she said. "But it also has lower tones that are just as beautiful."
For the Utah Symphony’s Salt Lake City performances, the Mendelssohn concerto will be followed by Anton Bruckner’s nature-inspired Symphony No. 4. (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 will be performed instead in Park City.) The concert opens with Anton Webern’s 20th-century adaptation of Ricercare No. 2 from J.S. Bach’s "The Musical Offering."
"I think of ‘Musical Offering’ as being the title for the entire concert," said Utah Symphony vice president of artistic planning Toby Tolokan. The "offering" shows how symphony orchestras developed and expanded throughout the history of music. The concert proceeds from Webern’s sparely orchestrated take on Bach to "the perfect violin concerto," Tolokan said. The evening is crowned by the grand, pillarlike movements of the Bruckner symphony, which calls for massive orchestral forces.
Music director Thierry Fischer’s carefully made decision to program his first Bruckner symphony with the Utah Symphony on this particular program marks an important moment, Tolokan said. The Utah Symphony has just passed the midpoint of its backward Beethoven cycle, having played the heroic Symphony No. 5 at its last Salt Lake City concert. The moment is right for hearing a favorite symphony from one of Beethoven’s most profound musical heirs.
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