Word: midori
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...have the somewhat dubious distinction of owning the entire discography of Midori on compact disc, from Bartok to her two recital collections. Naturally, for completion's sake, I picked up her latest offering on Sony Classical--a coupling of the Sibelius violin concerto and Max Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra providing the accompaniment...
However, as with many of her recordings, I cannot give this one a whole-hearted recommendation. Midori stands now at a crucial cross-roads betwixt being a child prodigy and a mature musician. Yehudi Menuhin and Ruggiero Ricci are two who never crossed this chasm successfully, and only time will tell with the upcoming generation. Joshua Bell and Julian Rachlin struggle to get recognition, Sarah Chang remains largely untested outside of choreographable showpiece repertoire, and how much longer Helene Grimaud and Evgeny Kissin shall wax incandescent remains to be seen. I will be the first to laud Midori...
...second movement of the Sibelius reveals the worst flaws in the less-than-optimal engineering by Sony, which seemingly has Midori buried in the middle of the wood-winds. Without fail, Mehta produces the polished yet superficial orchestral veneer that one has come to expect from him, not helping matters at all. I suspect that Midori is attempting a subtler rendition of this concerto than normally heard, but if so, her efforts are not obvious enough for my taste. I do not encounter the "Nordic winter landscape" that Sibelius was said to strive for, so much as a vast sonic...
...last movement of the Sibelius has been described as a "Polonaise for polar bears," but those seeking robust playing should look elsewhere. Rather than the incessant, almost primitive drive of Heifetz or even Oistrakh, one finds a laid-back and almost casual interpretation here, with Midori deferring almost immediately. Is she willing to take on the orchestra in a head-to-head battle? Has she forgotten that the term concerto translates more or less as "a contest...
...rule, Asians in America have reflected extremely well, especially those who have drawn from the wellsprings of the older civilizations of India, China, Japan and Korea. Though they make up just 2.9% of the country's population, Asians have produced outstanding success stories: cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Midori; writers Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) and Maxine Hong Kingston (China Men); Sonny Mehta, editor of the distinguished Knopf book- publishing house; and filmmaker Wayne Wang (Dim Sum). Consider also: Chang- Lin Tien, the chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley; Paul Terasaki, a UCLA professor of surgery...