Dr. Colin Eatock, composer
  • Home
  • About Colin Eatock
  • Composing
  • Catalogue of works
  • Writing about music
  • Eatock Daily (blog)
  • New and upcoming
  • Contact me

Jonathan Crow With the TSO

2/23/2014

0 Comments

 
PictureJonathan Crow at Roy Thomson Hall.
Since he joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2011, Jonathan Crow has served reliably as the orchestra’s concertmaster. As well, the violinist from Prince George, BC, has demonstrated his excellence as a chamber musician in the New Orford Quartet. And last week, he stepped before his own orchestra to appear as a concert soloist, in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.

So how did he fare? On Thursday evening, when I heard him, he revealed himself to be a solid soloist. His tone was solid (he had no trouble soaring above the orchestra he usually strives to blend in with), his technique was solid, and his rhythm was also solid.

To be sure, solidity is a fine thing, when it’s the underlying foundation for all the other things a great concerto performance needs. But in Crow’s Beethoven, many of those other things – spontaneity, flexibility, sparkle, delicacy, shading of colour, and such – weren’t always in evidence. As a result, in Crow’s hands, Beethoven’s virtuosic showpiece became a very serious undertaking.

This was most apparent in the first and last movements. Here, Crow and guest conductor Thomas Dausgaard settled into some less-than-exciting tempos, and security, rather than risk-taking, were the order of the day. Cadenzas were careful and calculated, and passage-work sounded laboured. Happily, the middle movement was more successful, with long lyrical phrases emanating from Crow’s violin.


The TSO’s concertmaster was well applauded for his efforts – but to my ears, his performance was a succès d’estime. I look forward to next time I hear this concerto played by an established concert soloist.

Paired with the Beethoven was a lesser-known work, Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3, dubbed the “Sinfonia Espansiva.” From the downbeat, it was apparent that Dausgaard had some strong ideas about this music, and knew how to convey them to the orchestra. Indeed, his obvious enthusiasm for his compatriot’s work was infectious, and as he threw himself around the podium the TSO responded with dazzling outbursts of energy and colour.

A charming playfulness animated the third movement, and the finale was a breathtaking romp, forcefully driven forward by Dausgaard. Together, he and the TSO persuasively pleaded the Espansiva’s case: it should be heard more often. As well, such a performance bodes well for the TSO’s upcoming Nielsen Festival, which Dausgaard will lead, from November 12-22, next fall.

But I haven’t mentioned the Espansiva’s second movement. I really don’t know what possessed the TSO to bring in a pair of vocal students from the University of Toronto for the solo passages. Unfortunately, their insecure performances made it apparent that they weren’t quite ready for their Roy Thomson Hall debuts. I won’t mention their names here – and I wish them well in their studies.


© Colin Eatock 2013
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Eatock Daily

    I'm a composer based in Toronto – and this is my classical music blog, Eatock Daily.

    When I first started blogging, Eatock Daily was a place to re-post the articles I wrote for Toronto’s Globe and Mail and National Post newspapers, the Houston Chronicle, the Kansas City Star and other publications.

    But now I have stepped back from professional music journalism, and I'm spending more time composing.

    These days, my blog posts are infrequent, and are mostly concerned with my own music. However, I do still occasionally post comments on musical topics, including works I've discovered, enjoyed, and wish to share with others.


    – CE

    Archives

    March 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    June 2020
    September 2019
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Index

    Click here for an alphabetical list of blog entries.

    RSS Feed

    Follow colineatock on Twitter
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.