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Crescendo Ignace "Iggy" Jang |
Guest violinist brings
rarity to isle concertHave you ever marveled at Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" or Pablo Picasso's "Guernica?" Then you know the excitement these masterworks stir in the heart of art lovers.
In the music industry, precious old violins draw similar admiration. They are coveted treasures, and the same buyers who compete for Van Goghs might also be found bidding on rare musical instruments.
Tamaki Kawakubo
Performs with the Honolulu SymphonyPlace: Blaisdell Concert Hall
When: 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $16, $28, $33, $44 and $59 each
Call: 792-2000 or Ticketmaster, 877-750-4400
Italians Antonio Stradivarius and Giuseppe Antonio Guarnerius are recognized as the two greatest violin makers of all time, having achieved unparalleled success in the 17th and 18th centuries. Their works, regarded as the definitive versions, are perfection both visually and acoustically. No one has been able to duplicate the craftsmanship of Stradivarius and Guarnerius, although many have modeled their own instruments after these two makers.
Known as luthiers, designers of violins, violas, cellos and basses, must consider one factor of no concern to visual artists: the acoustic quality of the artwork they create. Their key goal is to create instruments that are capable of achieving superior tonal qualities. And, they must accomplish this while crafting an instrument that is also visually stunning. This marriage of beauty and brains is rarely achieved, but when a luthier creates such an instrument, it's a marriage made in music heaven.
This weekend at the Honolulu Symphony you'll have the chance to experience the sights and sounds of a Stradivarius up close in the hands of our special guest, violinist Tamaki Kawakubo. Tamaki's Stradivarius, which is on loan from the Mandell Collection of Southern California, is nicknamed the "Cathedral." It was made in 1707 in the maker's Cremona workshop.
Stradivarius is said to have created about 1,100 instruments, and roughly 600 exist today. When Tamaki performs with us, she'll be playing one of the world's most precious instruments.
YOU MAY REMEMBER Tamaki from her debut with us in 1997 when she was just 16 and already a magnificent performer, demonstrating technical mastery and surprising maturity. Since her last visit, the Juilliard graduate has kept herself busy studying in Germany, touring internationally and earning top prizes at the world's most important violin competitions, with the "Cathedral" at her side.
For centuries, scholars have debated over how Stradivarius and Guarnerius were able to create the rich, powerful and golden tones that instruments such as Tamaki's produce. Theories proliferate and have almost become legend. The film "The Red Violin," with its breathtaking score by composer John Corigliano, explores some of the myths surrounding the life -- and the varnish -- of a particular violin. When you consider the fact that these precious instruments can sell for more than a million dollars, it's not surprising that violins and their makers have reached celebrity status.
The thickness and arch of the wood plates, the components in the varnish and aging all play some role when creating an instrument. A recent study published in the tree-ring science journal Dendrochronologia suggests that the long winters and cool summers during Stradivarius' time resulted in slow tree growth and highly dense wood. This "Little Ice Age" seems to have been the key to the makers' success.
THIS WEEKEND, we'll perform Dvorak's 1879 Violin Concerto as part of our program that features all-Czech composers. Popular the world over, Dvorak's Violin Concerto is an ideal platform for Tamaki's virtuosity. Soaring above the orchestra, her "Strad" will revel in the velvety feel of the low strings and the shining splendor of its soprano range. The middle movement of the Violin Concerto overflows with beauty, and the finale is a dazzling ebullient dance infused with Slavic folk elements.
The three composers featured this weekend -- Dvorak, Smetana and Janacek -- were proud of their Slavic origins and lived in what is today the Czech Republic. Our opening work, Janacek's "Taras Bulba," recounts the story of the 15th century Cossack leader Taras Bulba, at war against the Poles. If you're a fan of Eastern European literature or the writings of Nikolai Gogol, you'll know that the Cossacks were Slavs renowned for their horsemanship and military skill.
Taras Bulba is also a popular character in Ukrainian folk mythology, and his spirited story is brilliantly brought to life in Janacek's musical tale of war and love. The opening's tormented but expressive melody reveals conflicting emotions: Bulba's son Andri has fallen in love with the daughter of the enemy leader and has turned traitor. Will Bulba forgive his son or will Andri be slain in a fit of paternal anger? You'll hear the brass enter strongly here and, based on what they tell us, the future doesn't bode well for Andri.
In the second movement, inspired by the Polish dance Mazurka, the enemy celebrates the capture of Bulba's elder son Ostap. Bulba himself fights valiantly, but is eventually caught and condemned to death. However, the grand finale does not reflect defeat, but the hero's own inspirational vision of the strength of his people.
Three of Smetana's symphonic poems from his "My Fatherland" series will close the evening. We'll perform the second poem, "Vltava" -- or, as it's known in German, "The Moldau" -- which describes the Vltava River as it runs through Prague and the rural Czech countryside. Often referred to as the unofficial Czech national anthem, it is played every year to open the Prague Spring Festival. The music carries us along the Vltava as the undulations of the flutes, clarinets and violas sweep you off your feet, leaving you gliding to the sound of serenading violins.
By contrast, "Sárk," our second Smetana symphonic poem of the night, is the dramatic story of a woman swearing vengeance on all men. But not to worry, the Finale "Blanik" unifies all citizens of the Czech Republic in a hymn of resurrection and revolt against occupation. Together, these symphonic poems will inspire and entertain. And, I guarantee that you'll be humming the beloved melody from "Vltava" on your way home.
Three great Czechs and one Stradivarius. That's far better than three "bad Czechs" for no Strad, if you ask me!
Ignace "Iggy" Jang is the Honolulu Symphony's concertmaster. His column will appear on the Monday prior to each concert of the season to illuminate works to be performed. E-mail comments and questions to Jang at suggestions@honolulusymphony.com