Zukerman and the Brits: A Transcendent Evening

Any concert by a world class orchestra at MSU's Wharton Center is a special event, but Tuesday's (1/15/08) program by the Royal Philharmonic with violinist Pinchas Zukerman was a sublime delight.

I knew I had to attend when I heard that Pinchas Zukerman, the world's greatest violinist (in my humble opinion), was scheduled to play the grand dame of violin concertos, the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Also on this all-Beethoven program was the legendary 5th Symphony.

Zukerman, now a dapper white-haired 60-year-old, walked out on stage to reveal that he was not only soloing on this devilishly difficult concerto, but conducting it as well. He stood in front of the orchestra - violin in one hand, conducting with the other.

As the virtuoso began to play his opening notes, we knew that this would be a rare musical evening. Zukerman's tone was warm and sweet and shimmering with transcendent beauty. Some soloists rip through this work with great bravado, showing off their technique. Instead, Zukerman took his time with each phrase, adding nuance, beauty and elegant musical touches. He played with a gracious rubato give and take, as a great opera singer would.

Miraculously, Zukerman did a 360 when he wasn't playing, to conduct the orchestra to compliment his playing style. How a violinist who is playing one of the most challenging concertos, seperate his brain to also conduct the orchestra, is beyond me. Sometimes the orchestra played with robust force, while at others it sounded like a small chamber group playing is someone's drawing room. The melting together of orchestra and soloist created musical magic.
Zukerman has never been one to pander or be over-demonstrative with an audience. He plays with understated artistry. He's there for the music and only the music. When the treacherous cadenza's came up, with double stops (playing two strings at once) flying up and down the fingerboard, Zukerman was totally unfazed. He simply navigated the rapids, thinking only about how beautiful he could make it sound.

His glorious tone had a presence that floated across the Great Hall audience, even when he was playing pianissimo. The orchestra must have been communicating with him by radio waves, because individual musicians entered in the most delicate, exposed passages with no visible cue from the conductor/soloist. Again, it was magic.

Throughout the entire performance, I was in another world, entranced by the glorious music making of this great artist at the top of his game.

After intermission (called the "Interval" in the UK), Zukerman traded the fiddle for a baton and conducted the triumphant Fifth Symphony.

Although the Israeli-born musician has been conducting for many years, now, he looked like a novice on the podium. His motions were broad, flowing and vague and I tried to imagine myself playing under him and guessing whre his beat was. But, no matter, the orchestra sounded great - which is the only thing that matters.

He appeared to have a terrific rapport with the players, molding the music to fit his vision. The entire wind section was superb, but the first flutist (Paul Edmund Davies) and oboist (John Anderson) played together like two birds on a branch of a flowering tree on a spring day.

Zukerman was able to extract the sounds of each individual section of the orchestra. We heard robust cello and bass playing, but also strong and raucous brass playing.

For the encore, Zukerman led his Londoners in a ravishing reading of a movement of fellow Englishman Edward Elgar's masterpiece, The Enigma Variations. It was lush, romantic and heartfelt.

All in all, this concert by absoulte world class musicians was one of the finest I have ever heard in East Lansing. Zukerman the consumate artst and combined with a responsive and virtuosic ensemble made this evening a true gift from Wharton Center to the people of East Lansing.