Thursday, December 8, 2011
Music Joshua Bell Doesn't Play the Violin. He Shreds.
Posted by Henry Stewart on Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 1:04 PM
In such hands, the concerto wasn't just technically wizardrous—the player for whom it was written initially described the piece as "unplayable"—but also an emotional tour-de-force. Bell is a theatrical musician, wringing expression from every line (sometimes, as my companion opined, at the expense of clarity, like Janis Joplin's singing), even teasing out a bit of playfulness; I swear I heard the audience chuckling during some cadenzas. Bell was so well-liked that the crowd broke convention and applauded him between movements. Sometimes those unfamiliar with the mores of the concert hall will unknowingly violate this taboo, and reluctantly the audience will join in. But there was no hesitation last night: the audience at Avery Fisher just couldn't wait to tell this man how much they adored him.
Bell repeats this program with the New York Philharmonic tonight and Friday night; Saturday night's concert is sold-out. More info here.
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