LINDSAY DEUTSCH
By GARY SMITH Called Virtuosi the program was certainly well named. It was there in spades in the splendid playing of Brott’s National Academy Orchestra which connected superbly with Mozart’s melodic Symphony No. 38, K 504, Prague. If you’ve ever stood on the Charles Bridge in that wondrous and romantic city, watching the sun climb over the horizon you’ll know what Mozart was aiming for in his music. Always, there is a sense of musical challenge that makes you marvel at the sheer accomplishment of the academy’s playing. The sense of virtuoso certainly surged too through the mercurial playing of Lindsay Deutsch, an 18-year-old guest violinist. Deutsch tackled Saint Saens’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61 with such consummate artistry it was difficult to believe she was so young. The Hamilton Place audience leapt to its feet, rewarding the young girl with a genuine standing ovation that seemed to touch her deeply. What a talent! Watching the way emotion lit her handsome face reminded me that all truly inspired musicians, whether they play pop, jazz or the classics, project passion overtly around the eyes. Deutsch made her violin speak as only a real artist can. The intensity of her playing was so thrilling she captured tension contrasted with tenderness that is the very essence of this moving work. What Deutsch managed musically, Goh and Harrington created visually. Dancing the Corsaire Pas de Deux, they capture something of the high-flown drama that makes this passionate liaison between a man and a woman thrilling. |