# Midori - Recent Proms Performance



## MariaB (Aug 1, 2011)

I watched the televised version of the recent BBC Proms performance which included the violinist Midori playing Walton's Violin Concerto. I'd be really interested to hear if anyone else on the forum saw this and what their opinion of Midori's performance is. I wasn't previously familiar with either Walton's piece or Midori's playing, but, given her reputation, I have to say that I found it a generally inconsistent and rather unexciting performance, lacking in projection in many places - and all this despite her obvious technical abilities in a very demanding piece. No doubt she was quite a phenomenon as a child prodigy, but has she really kept pace in terms of her ability to interpret and express the music she plays? Probably highly unfair of me to judge on just one performance, I admit, but I'd be intrigued to know if anyone else shares my initial impressions.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

can search for us, if there any links to the proms? I would love to see Midori with Walton VC!


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## MariaB (Aug 1, 2011)

Hello, jurianbai,

I'm new to this website and somewhat technically challenged by even the basics at present! However, I've copied the website address that came up when I tracked down the Midori performance on the BBC Proms page (BBC website). I'm not sure if it will come up as a proper link, unfortunately, but you may be able to locate the correct Proms page by typing it in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b012wgzh

It's available on the BBC iplayer, but only for another 4 days, I think, before it's removed, so I hope you manage to track it down and listen to it in time. All the best!


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

MariaB said:


> I watched the televised version of the recent BBC Proms performance which included the violinist Midori playing Walton's Violin Concerto. I'd be really interested to hear if anyone else on the forum saw this and what their opinion of Midori's performance is. I wasn't previously familiar with either Walton's piece or Midori's playing, but, given her reputation, I have to say that I found it a generally inconsistent and rather unexciting performance, lacking in projection in many places - and all this despite her obvious technical abilities in a very demanding piece. No doubt she was quite a phenomenon as a child prodigy, but has she really kept pace in terms of her ability to interpret and express the music she plays? Probably highly unfair of me to judge on just one performance, I admit, but I'd be intrigued to know if anyone else shares my initial impressions.


The Walton Violin Concerto is something of a rarity in concert programmes. This is partly because of its fiendish difficulty (Walton wrote it for Jascha Heifetz) and partly because it is largely an unflashy, introspective work rather than your typical crowd-pleasing wham, bam, thank you, maam violin concerto. I love Walton's music and his concertos in particular. This piece isn't supposed to be 'exciting' and so I fear Maria might have been hoping for something that was never intended to be there. I enjoyed Midori's thoughtful and atmospheric performance once I got used to her rather small, tight, tremulous vibrato (I am not a fan of violinists who use this type of vibrato).

I liked it!


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## Bix (Aug 12, 2010)

I watching and listening to it on iPlayer this week so I'll let you know

and by the way..... Welcome to the forum


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## MariaB (Aug 1, 2011)

Delicious Manager said:


> This piece isn't supposed to be 'exciting' and so I fear Maria might have been hoping for something that was never intended to be there. I enjoyed Midori's thoughtful and atmospheric performance once I got used to her rather small, tight, tremulous vibrato (I am not a fan of violinists who use this type of vibrato).
> 
> I liked it!


In view of what you say, 'unexciting' was, perhaps, an inappropriate description, then! I take your point about the nature of the piece, and I don't think I was really expecting a 'typical crowd pleaser', as such, but the announcer mentioned that Walton wrote this piece in Italy whilst apparently in the grips of a grand amour, and that this would be evident 'dripping from every note' (? if I remember the phrasing correctly). I suppose what I really meant is that I found Midori's playing a little lacking in the strength of that emotion. Obviously, it's a fiendishly difficult piece technically, deliberately so for the reason you state, and no one could challenge Midori on that aspect, but I just felt generally unmoved by her playing. Interestingly, on checking reviews of this violinist's past concerts, I unearthed one in the Seattle Times (I think), which also expressed some ambivalence about the nature of her playing.

Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Delicious Manager! Perhaps I need to return to the piece and listen to some other versions for comparison!


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

I've been taping most of the Proms so far, and can honestly say that I found the Walton Violin Concerto one of the best in terms of sound quality and little audience noise etc. 

I didn't notice anything especially poor about Midori's performance in the manner suggested. My recording of it was taken from the radio broadcast rather than the TV one. The only other recordings of this work I have is that by Heifetz, and another live recording with James Ehnes/Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. 

I don't pretend to have any any special knowledge about this work or the various "best" recordings of it, but I would say that the recent Proms version stands up quite well against these others in my opinion. So why not grab yourself a free copy of it whilst it's available for re-play. 

It's one of those works which may sound quite ordinary on a first hearing (especially to a "whippersnapper" still hung up on the likes of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and possibly very little else) but it does get a lot more interesting on repeated listening. Walton's music generally appeals to me a lot.


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## MariaB (Aug 1, 2011)

Hello, Artemis, it's interesting to hear how Midori's performance compares favourably with the other two recordings you mention. I'm sure I'd benefit from repeated listenings of this piece, as you suggest, whichever version that may be...I certainly didn't dislike it, but admittedly, it _did_ seem a little 'ordinary' on my first encounter (even though I have progressed a little beyond Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata!).


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## Artemis (Dec 8, 2007)

MariaB said:


> Hello, Artemis, it's interesting to hear how Midori's performance compares favourably with the other two recordings you mention. I'm sure I'd benefit from repeated listenings of this piece, as you suggest, whichever version that may be...I certainly didn't dislike it, but admittedly, it _did_ seem a little 'ordinary' on my first encounter.


If you haven't already done so it's also worth getting hold of Walton's Viola Concerto and Cello Concerto, which are both quite delightful works. Again, I haven't studied the "form" among the various recordings in any detail, but I'm pleased with the versions of these that I have: Lawrence Power/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and Gregor Piatigorsky/Boston Symphony Orchestra, respectively.

I hope you are enjoying this year's Proms. I haven't got round to attending any so far this year, but in previous years I've always tried to get to at least three. In addition to the Walton VC, the performances that have impressed me most so far are:Bartok: First Piano Concerto
Janacek: Glagolitic Mass
Brian: Gothic Symphony
Beethoven: Symphony No 4 (even though I'm not a "whippersnapper", I still like Beethoven)
Liszt: Dante Symphony​Various other works were performed very well but there was unfortunately a lot of audience noise etc, which rather spoiled things for me.


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