Paganini and Brahms highlights

The 16 Mar 2013 concert featured Lorenzo Gatto as soloist in Paganini's First Violin Concerto. Gatto, a 2nd prize winner (behind new Sony artist Ray Chen) at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition 2009 was making his DFP debut in KL. The opening piece, Rossini's La Cenerentola Overture, preceded the Paganini. The sombre opening was rightly so, but when the fast section emerged - it still remained sombre and refused to catch fire. There were hardly any significant dynamic contrasts and the typical Rossini "Mannheim" crescendo just was not existent. This was the fault of the conductor, Jacek Kaspszyk, who failed to inspire the MPO players. Things improved after the Rossini, when Gatto appeared to perform the Paganini First Concerto. This was a commanding performance technically, with most of the treacherous violinistic hurdles overcome with good ease. However, Gatto has outgrown his JB Vuillaume violin and the instrument hampered his playing especially when he had to produce the abundant Paganini semiquavers at great speed and the double stopped harmonics in the last movement. Nevertheless, Gatto is an emerging talent and will improve and mature with time. Kaspszyk's form also improved in the second half when he took the stage for Brahms' First Symphony. Being a Karajan protégé, his interpretation bears some resemblance to the late Austrian maestro's version. The timpani-saturated opening of the first movement was a similar feature to Karajan's interpretation. The second movement featured clean and precise playing but the violin solo at the end had slightly uninvolved playing by the MPO concert mistress. The last movement again had elements of the typical Karajan interpretation, without having the overwhelming conviction and grandeur the late maestro brought to the piece in his later career. Nevertheless, it brought the evening to a happy and joyous conclusion when the coda ended in a triumphant "tierce di picardie" C major blaze.