written by Elisabeth Thieriot
Sunday Night at the SF Symphony to remember.
Joshua Bell has delivered yet another flawless performance filling the hall with the sound of his 1713 Stradivarius violin using late-eighteens-century French bow. The beauty of the total experience is not only coming from his musical and technical talent but the combination of the violin and composed music by Mozart and Beethoven being composed and performed during the same period.
The likelihood of the very violin playing the very music during 1700 is very high. Knowing this it was easy to travel back in time to hear and imagine the small saloon performance of virtuoso in palaces in Europe. It is not often that we have this connection to the past with vividness of sound and clarity of the message it carries.
Beethoven wrote Symphony 6 in major, Opus 68 with the intention to bring nature to the city people to have lightness and spring though sounds of the wind, birds, and thunder. He understood the need and longing for nature that city people had.
Mozart, on the other hand, wrote Concerto No:4 in D major for Violin and Orchestra, K.218 during his happiest time expecting his second child which inspired to play and composed on violin for that short time in his life.
Traveling back in time to more present-day Joshua Bell performed Edgar Meyer Overture for Violin and Orchestra debuted as recently as
June 22, 2017. Incredibly rich, powerful, intense yet not unsettling composition. Remarkable balance of bringing up all emotions but not tipping us over the edge. Brilliant in every part.
The sophistication of Joshua Bell and his connection to his instrument- Stradivarius is what Masters are made of.
