BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
‘Gomyo Plays Tchaikovsky’
Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky and Symphony No 10 by Shostakovich
Karen Gomyo, violin and Mark Wigglesworth, conductor
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and members of the Australian Youth Orchestra
Federation Concert Hall, 15 May 2015
Violinist Karen Gomyo made her debut with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, clutching her Stradivarius violin. With conductor Mark Wigglesworth, the TSO, and musicians from the Australian Youth Orchestra, Gomyo met Tchaikovsky head on in a knockout performance of his Violin Concerto.
The first thing I noticed about Gomyo’s playing was that, visually, there was so little to notice. She’s not the sort of musician who dances around as though owning the stage – throwing back the head, breaking a sweat. Gomyo was elegant and composed, and though she performed with near-mechanical definition and consistency through speedy passages, her body and fingers appeared to move effortlessly.
The lower tones of her Stradivarius sounded more like a viola in timbre, and her mid-range was slightly overpowered by the orchestra. Still, they matched her lightness well for such a large group of players. They seemed to warm up about halfway through the Tchaikovsky, subsequently presenting a thrilling performance.
Gifting us with an encore, Gomyo presented Tango-Etude No 3 by Piazzolla – a spirited performance that sounded oddly similar to the Tchaikovsky in approach. Gomyo certainly has a ‘sound’ – and it awarded her a standing ovation from a full house.
The excitement continued with Symphony No 10 in E minor, Op 93 by Shostakovich, which the composer wrote around the time of Stalin’s death. Though young Australians couldn’t be further from living through the fear, trauma, and violence of the Soviet Union early last century, the energy exuded by the AYO was a wicked match for Shostakovich.
Youth has bite. Fire. This passion was particularly well heard in the two middle movements. The violins could certainly have been tighter, but the lower strings compensated with outstanding ensemble playing. Some expertly performed solo lines came from various members of the wind section throughout the final movement, and the orchestra exploded into an abruptly positive finale. It was a powerful conclusion thanks to the combined efforts of the AYO, TSO, and Wigglesworth.
Oh, and Shostakovich, of course.
Image supplied.
