Benefizkonzert

Compositions that were once criticized and made fun of by contemporaries are often admired as milestones of music today. That applies no less to Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, which the dedicatee even considered unplayable and the dreaded critic Eduard Hanslick tore to pieces, than to Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, his “rhythmic”. In this work Beethoven presents himself as the Prometheus of art, who will free music and listeners from confining chains. Whether it is his gruff humour or the struggle of the artist in despair over society – the breathless energy of this “apotheosis of the dance” (in the words of Richard Wagner) is unparalleled.
Tchaikovsky also defied convention in his Violin Concerto. He allows free, associative playing by the violin which, after the wonderfully profound melody, leads to truly spectacular passages in the Finale. This concerto, composed according to the principle of “all or nothing”, seems to be tailor-made for the star violinist Midori. The artist, who has received numerous awards both for her playing and her social engagement, devotes herself body and soul to the work, as if it were the only thing, and charms the audience with an intense dialogue. Michael Sanderling is her dialogue partner on the conductor’s podium – a musician in the true sense of the word, like Midori.