Probably Tired After
New York, NY — Hilary Hahn played an elegant yet cerebral set of works by Ysaye, Ives, Brahms, and Bartok at Town Hall in New York City on Sunday June 14, 2009. The concert was part of the Free For All at Town Hall concert series; a free concert series sponsored by various patrons and organized by Twin Lions, Inc.
Ms. Hahn opened with the Ysaye Solo Sonata No. 4—the fourth in a set of six sonatas composed by the Belgian composer Eugene Ysaye. Modeled after the famed six sonatas and partitas written by J.S. Bach, the Ysaye sonatas maximize the versatility of the violin itself, and tax the ability of the performer in both technique and musicianship.
Hahn demonstrated her command over her instrument by delivering a compelling and technically commendable performance. Wielding her signature clear tone, Hahn treated every note with tenderness—from its beginning to its end. In fact, the one time an incoming landing appeared it might bounce, she placed the bow with the same precision that graced the whole performance.
By pairing her technique with the sensitivity and intelligence that she brought to her interpretation of the work, Hahn both impressed and touched New York. Though a free concert series will inevitably attract fans, connoisseurs, casual concertgoers, and babies alike, Hahn presented an emotional and effective performance that, regrettably, was her only New York performance this season.
Accompanied by pianist Valentina Lisitsa, Hahn followed Ysaye 4 with Charles Ives’s Sonata No. 4. The program contained three of Ives’s four sonatas—numbers 1, 2, and 4. While Ives’s tonalities may have deviated from what many audience members might be used to, Hahn and Lisitsa did well to accentuate the playful and relatively simple nature of Ives’s melodies. Lisitsa found her way around the keyboard impressively considering the unfair distribution of technical difficulty among the Ives sonatas. Though in no way does the “simplicity” of the violin part detract from Hahn’s performance. To bring recognizable sonority to Ives requires significant consideration—something Hahn and Lisitsa have undeniably attended to.
And so the performance continued with similar trends—Hahn’s technical clarity served her again in Ysaye’s sixth sonata, as well as the Brahms Hungarian Dances. The Joachim transcriptions proved no challenge for Hahn, or at least appeared so, as she powered through dance after dance, interrupted only by the timid applause after each dance—as if the audience were either unsure if they were to applaud, or perhaps couldn’t help themselves out of delight in Hilary’s performance.
Hahn topped off the program with Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances—a staple of violin literature, and admittedly fun to play. Again, her knowledge of Bartok and his infatuation with folk tunes brought a fresh, cunning, and edgy atmosphere to Hahn’s interpretation of the work. And despite a two hour long recital, the audience demanded a final gesture. And so, Ms. Hahn did her best to not only win, but hold the hearts of New Yorkers with the Cantabile by Paganini.
Colin, Becky sent this along for us to peruse. What a great job. Are you hoping to “publish” this on a weekly basis? This is such a wonderful resource for musicians and for those intrested in knowing what and where things are going on in the classical music world. Congratulations!