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[INDEX]
 Carnegie
Hall welcomed the dynamite Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov (photo left)
with a mixture of rapture and mystification on Nov. 8. The young virtuoso,
one of the best fiddlers alive, offered a quirky program of Ysaÿe, Bach,
and Shchedrin in support of his latest EMI CD (photo below left). He also
tried out a new shtick. Instead of just playing the music and letting
the audience read the program notes at their leisure, Vengerov’s new format
for his current world tour involves chatting up the audience between each
piece via a cordless microphone. He tells jokes, reminisces, answers questions,
and explains the links between the works on the program.
Most audience members did not seem to mind this departure from traditional
recital etiquette. Others found that amplified chatting between works
impaired their concentration. A few industry-watchers wondered to what
extent this awkward charm offensive reflected EMI’s effort to rebrand
Vengerov and sell more discs.
Hitherto, Vengerov has not had a very high public profile. Less gifted
violinists, such as Joshua Bell and Midori, have been more publicized.
In the past, Vengerov had a probably undeserved reputation as aloof and
slightly arrogant, which may have been due to his justifiable ego and
his poor English skills. Now that his languages have improved, he is being
promoted as an idealistic philanthropist with a sensitive side. He told
the Carnegie audience how his experiences as a UN Music Ambassador in
such hellish places as Bosnia and Uganda had “made him a profounder and
better person.” He lamented the modern tendency to work too much and move
too fast. He advised that we should slow down and smell the roses. To
this end, he is doing admirable charity work, such as his upcoming obesity
benefit in Quebec city.
All well and good. But his new image is a bit incongruous coming from
a jet-setter with a taste for racing cars, leather cummerbunds, and high
fees. It is hard to square this new saintly Vengerov image with his recent
press photos, which show him in various “come-hither” poses on a purple
bed, and with a violin placed equivocally at crotch level. His marketing
people should make up their minds.
That said, Vengerov’s playing was, as always, breathtaking. Our era boasts
dozens of superb concert fiddlers, but Vengerov is one of the few who
can always be relied upon to generate real excitement and deliver a memorable
musical experience. He is a violinist who can play anything with supreme
skill and utter confidence.
 The
pieces on this new recital program (and CD) share an indebtedness to Bach.
The concert opened with a transcription by Fox-Lefriche of Bach’s Toccata
and Fuge in D Minor, BWV 565. Vengerov played this Bach on his Kreutzer
Strad, since his baroque violin was “sick.” He held the baroque bow in
the “authentic” way, a handspan from the frog. Even with the “wrong” instrument
Vengerov played very well. The double stopping sounded especially rich
on the Strad. The only problem was his tendency to play fast without breaks
between movements. Maybe he did this so that the clap-happy audience would
not ruin the performance by applauding between sections.
The bulk of the concert was devoted to four of the six Opus 27 sonatas
by Belgian composer-violinist Eugene Ysaÿe, all composed in 1924, indebted
to Bach, and showcases for the violinist’s technical fireworks. The Sonata
in A Minor, No. 2, featured a haunting second movement (Malinconia) reminiscent
of the Baltic minimalist Arvo Pärt, a pizzicato Danse des Ombres, and
a furious finale which left Vengerov’s bow hairs in tatters. The Sonata
in D Minor, No. 3 (Ballade), was short and sweet. The Sonata in E Minor,
No. 4, was memorable for a delicate, spidery sarabande. The concert ended
with the Sonata in E Major, No. 6. It is marvellous to think that Vengerov
played these works as well as did their original dedicatees, legends like
Szigeti, Thibaud, Kreisler, Enescu, and Quiroga.
Even more impressive was Vengerov’s traversal of Rodion Shchedrin’s incredibly
difficult Echo Sonata, Op. 64, composed for the Bach tercentenary in 1984.
Encores were Shchedrin’s pizzicato and strummed Balalaika, Op. 100 (dedicated
to Vengerov) and Bach’s Adagio.
This concert was a success d’estime, but in the future Vengerov should
beware of overdoing the mix of obscure repertoire, touchy-feely testimonials,
and lecture-demonstration. Interestingly, during the question and answer
session, an old gentleman hummed one of Ysaÿe’s phrases to demonstrate
that Vengerov was not obeying the composer’s indications. Vengerov said
the man was “absolutely right” and admitted that he often improvised the
line once he had the notes.
> Carnegie Hall
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