LINDSAY DEUTSCH
Ventura Daily News
Feb. 5, 2010
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New West Symphony

Playing pieces by George Gershwin and John Williams last week in Oxnard, violinist Lindsay Deutsch, 23, displayed a remarkable command of her instrument.

It’s rare when the New West Symphony fields a program drawn entirely from 20th-century composers, and all American to boot. Of course, New West seasoned the pot for its trio of concerts in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Santa Monica over the weekend with such surefire winners as composers Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, John Williams and George Gershwin.

Adding immeasurably to the pleasure was violin soloist Lindsay Deutsch, 23, who proved on Friday night in Oxnard not only that she is in command of her musical instrument, but also endowed with an elegant athleticism and superior communication skills. With pluck and poise, she turned the incident of a broken string into a nonchalant breather as she scurried to the wings for a replacement while conductor Boris Brott riffed to fill in the moment with tales of famous violinists who had suffered similar performance-stoppers.

With Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide” opening the first half of the concert with bite and wit, interposed with its surging melodic theme, and the second half with Two Dance Episodes from Copland’s “Rodeo,” a true barn-raiser with its irresistible Hoe-Down, Deutsch’s contribution in the two final works, Three Pieces from “Schindler’s List” and Gershwin’s Fantasy on themes from “Porgy and Bess,” could have been anti-climactic. But she managed to top everything that preceded her with a vivid performance.

In the “Schindler’s List” selections, Deutsch’s violin virtually became a human voice, one that could suffer and weep but retain an inner strength. From the throaty rumblings to the exquisitely delicate harmonics that reached to the heavens, her rendition was remarkably moving. In the Gershwin piece, she embodied the mischievous “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” the insouciant “I Got Plenty of Nuttin,’” the languid longing of “Summertime” and the joyously defiant “O Laud, I’m on My Way” with the aplomb of a veteran.

Deutsch totally won over the audience, and justifiably so, returning to the stage after a standing ovation. She and Brott then concocted an improvised return to “Summertime” that brought the evening to a indelible close.