# 14 — MY FAVORITE VIOLINIST
On the Notes app of my phone, I keep a list of all the concerts I have watched and update it whenever I attend one. Within each entry I’ll include the performer’s name and repertoire, and I’ll add asterisks next to any noteworthy pieces or artists. One that remains fresh in my memory is violinist Clara-Jumi Kang’s performance of Beethoven’s (1770-1827) Violin Concerto, Op. 61 with the Pacific Symphony, which took place at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in early 2020. Five years later to this day, I still remember it very well.
This concert was special for a few reasons. For starters, the year 2020 marked the 250th birthday of the German composer, and there was great anticipation of his oeuvre to be included in concert programs all around the world: Almost every orchestra had to include his Ninth Symphony in their season finale, several pianists recorded all thirty-two (32) of his sonatas… you get the idea. For me, I was looking forward especially to that Pacific Symphony concert since I had not listened to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto before. Back then, I also didn’t know of the guest violinist, so I was interested to hear what her playing would sound like. It was also nice that a close friend of mine could come with me to the concert so that we could both enjoy the music together. It’s the same type of sentiment from people who say, “Food tastes better when shared with others.” I know — I’ve given that comparison before, but I can’t stress enough how wonderful that feeling is! So, the lights dim, both Maestro Carl St.Clair and violinist Clara-Jumi Kang march onto the stage, they and the orchestra perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and I have to say… I was blown away. If I had to condense my first impressions in one sentence, then it would have to be this: Clara Jumi-Kang’s cadenza in the first movement was perfect, the second movement sounds like a beautiful hymn I would hear in church, and the third movement is the happiest-sounding thing I can imagine.
Although my first introduction to her playing was through that Op. 61 and although I would like to tell you all about the entire work, I’ll focus mainly on her execution of the cadenza in the opening movement. Before that solo was about twenty minutes of music shared between the violinist and orchestra, so my ears became accustomed to easily hearing a sound created by so many musicians on the stage. It wasn’t quite as lush nor “in your face” as, say, the Germanic Romanticism of Mahler’s symphonies, but still — I felt as if I didn’t need to listen attentively (even though I really was) in order to successfully pick out the musical phrases and recognize the structural intricacies of the concerto’s sonata-allegro form. As soon as it was just Clara-Jumi Kang playing the cadenza, I immediately became drawn in to her playing; I felt myself slightly leaning forward in my seat just so that I could pay more attention to her performance. What she accomplished within that three-minute solo felt like a musical universe of its own — she took the entirety of the first movement’s musical form and condensed it down into a technically perfect performance of the cadenza, restating the main motifs with a touch of virtuosity. Her intonation was virtually flawless, especially during the double stops (playing two notes simultaneously on two different strings), and the depth and expression of her sound was incredible. I couldn’t believe how she managed to get her violin — a seemingly small wooden instrument — to sound so grand, majestic, and divine like that in such a beautiful concert hall for thousands of spectators.
My favorite aspects of Clara-Jumi Kang’s style are her razor-sharp sense of intonation and sparse use of vibrato. I can’t really think of any other violinist who just plays in tune so effortlessly, to be honest. She doesn’t slide, either. A few weeks ago I discussed how some violinists intentionally play a note slightly flat and then subtly slide up to the desired pitch — all for a bel canto effect. While that technique sometimes resonates well with me at the right moment, Clara-Jumi Kang’s directness with intonation is always a pleasure to hear. She is also careful with vibrato. When I listen to her playing, there is never a moment in which I get distracted and think, “She’s using too much vibrato.” It is fairly modest compared to that of her contemporaries, but she always does so in excellent taste. All of this praise about her style is not exclusive to Beethoven’s Op. 61, by the way. I’ve been listening to her recording of Brahms’ (1833-1897) Third Violin Sonata, Op. 108 with pianist Yeol Eum Son, who I also recently watched perform with Pacific Symphony on a separate occasion. Their rendition of that piece is fantastic, and I highly recommend you listen to it. Just listen to any music with Clara-Jumi Kang, for that matter.
Below is a video recording of her performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in early 2020. No matter how good your headphones are, listening to a mere recording won’t do her playing any justice. This, however, is phenomenal. Clara-Jumi Kang’s playing in this video sounds exactly how I remember hearing it in Segerstrom Hall — the most beautiful, captivating sound on a violin I have ever heard. I’ll never forget that performance.