Vengerov’s long-awaited Aspen debut tops a busy Music Fest weekend
The Aspen Times review on 10th July 2023
Friday’s Chamber Symphony program introduced the established violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov to Aspen audiences. He’s in the fourth decade of a storied career, and he did not disappoint.
Even the oh-so-familiar Mendelssohn Violin Concerto felt fresh and unforced under his fingers and bow. Subtle nuances abounded: tiny hesitations before key phrases, a delicate glissando here, a whisper of a diminuendo there. Not an aggressive rethinking of the piece, reflecting a sense of humility before the composer’s intent. There were fireworks, but they stemmed from his ability to meet the most demanding technical challenges without showing off and applying that to caressing softer phrases with a gentle touch.
