Rachel Barton Pine sparkles in Korngold Violin Concerto with VSO

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine wowed the audience at the Vancouver Symphony (May 21) with a gorgeous performance of Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto. The sunny weather probably reduced the attendance inside Skyview Concert Hall, but that didn’t affect Pine. Her playing soared, and the concerto, guided by music director Salvador Brotons, became a spectacular success for the season finale.

Pine, who suffered a debilitating injury many years ago, arrived on stage driving a cherry-red electric scooter and quickly transferred herself to a piano bench on a small platform. From that pedestal, she showed her consummate skill and artistry straight away from the initial downbeat. She created sublime lyrical lines, garnished with florid runs and an absolutely sweet but not syrupy tone. Her cadenza contained exciting high notes that set the stage for a wickedly furious ending of the first movement (Moderato nobile).

For the Romanze: Andante movement, Pine and the orchestra elicited a dreamy, wistful atmosphere. The ethereal quality was enhanced by translucent halos from the vibraphone, played by Isaac Rains.

A sonic burst energized the Allegro assai vivace with Pine etching lithe figures above the orchestra. A rustic dance cut into the texture of the movement, and then Pine delivered the fleet final section with fingers (projected via cameras onto the large screen on both sides of the stage) flying all over the strings of her Guarnerius “del Gesù” violin. The orchestra gathered steam along side her with horns blazing, and the together they surged in the fireworks at the very end of the piece.

Listeners burst into a standing ovation that continued loud and long until Pine held up her violin and bow to signal an encore. With her commanding and joyful voice, she concisely described the themes of “The Red Violin Caprices” by John Corgliano (from the movie, “The Red Violin”). Its wild Paganini-like ending was absolutely scintillating and caused another eruption of applause and ovations from the audience, which accompanied Pine even after her electric chariot returned to fetch her from the stage.

It would be difficult to top Pine’s performance, but the orchestra deserved accolades for acing Alexander Glazunov’s Symphony No. 5. In fact, I liked the Vancouver Symphony’s interpretation much more than the version I had heard on the Internet. That could be in part due to Brotons, who has demonstrated masterful conducting of Russian symphonic literature over the years.

In his introductory remarks to the Glazunov Fifth, Brotons mentioned that the orchestra’s performance was dedicated to Alexander Toradze, the great Georgian-American pianist, whose final, miraculous concert took place with the VSO last month.

The lower strings opened the Glazunov with a bold, strong statement. Horns and brasses led their colleagues in a heroic, stirring theme. The woodwinds added a lyrical section. The strings were cohesive, and the brass rounded out the first movement with a boisterous, punchy ending.

The second movement featured the flute section in sprightly passages that sparkled. The strings countered with a slightly heavier theme. Brotons paced it all expertly, and the movement concluded with a twinkle.

The melancholic third movement reminded me of Tchaikovsky’s style. Principal clarinetist Igor Shakhman delivered a poignant solo. Muted horns and a menacing brass choir gave the mood a more tragic character. Lovely playing from harpist Alexis Colner led to a passage in which the orchestra climbed higher and crested into a gentle, soothing chord.

The fourth movement started with a dramatic sforzando that segued into a Russian motif. Urged on by Brotons, the orchestra deftly executed several dynamic shifts – although the horns had one troublesome spot – and the piece concluded with an exciting finale that generated a very enthusiastic response from the audience.

The rarely performed “Rip Van Winkle Overture” by George Whitefield Chadwick was sleeper hit. Distant horn calls helped to create a drowsy bucolic backdrop that was interrupted later by a turbulent section and a sweeping melody. Languorous solos by principal cellist Dieter Ratzlaf evoked the legendary character, and the orchestra executed a fine accelerando into a second theme. Later came a climatic buildup with pummeling bass drum and timpani, capping off a rousing ending.

Overall, this was an exceptional concert for Brotons and the orchestra, and it would be terrific to hear Pine again in a future program.