Here's the latest from John Marks of The Tannhauser Gate blog site. His work is always a delight to re-publish here at Positive Feedback...this time is no exception.
Enjoy!
Dr. David W. Robinson, Ye Olde Editor
The Internet radio station I listen to most often is Bavarian Radio's Classical channel. To get to it, click HERE and scroll down to the "Radio" section of the home page, and then click on the "BR Klassik" tile. A pop-up window will appear with the BR player application. I should do a separate blog entry on br.de; for the moment, all I need to tell you is that its programming is a refreshing breath of fresh air, especially if you are sick of US commercial (or, for that matter, much of "public") classical radio, where the "Mozart Minute" is followed by "Drivetime With Dvorák." A welcome feature of br.de is frequent delayed broadcast of live concerts.
So, the other morning I clicked on the BR Klassik tile, and I was greeted by the familiar sounds of the first movement of Brahms' violin concerto. In mere seconds, my ears were decisively grabbed. I played a little game with myself, not looking at the player app and trying to guess the identity of the violinist. Hmmm… this one's a toughie! Sounds like a studio recording… . A huge and complex tone–one could imagine one was listening to chords on a pipe organ. Effortless technique. Thoughtful interpretative touches. A musical conception of the work as a whole, and not merely as a sequence of technical challenges. No playing fast, only for the sake of playing fast. Hmmm. Not Oistrakh, not Menuhin, not Mutter. But a first-rank player, no doubt.
OK, I give up. Oh. Ioana Cristina Goicea.
Now, the 2018 winner's performance of the Brahms concerto from the German Music Competition (held this March in Siegburg) does not appear to be available on demand. So I have posted the next best thing, a performance of the Tchaikovsky (from the Michael Hill International Violin Competition) that exhibits all of the virtues noted above. Ms. Goicea, born in Bucharest, is reportedly still pursuing her graduate studies in Germany. All I can say is, she's one to watch—and more importantly, to listen to. Will some international concert management firm please sign her, pronto?
