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It's 8 a.m. Tuesday: Five days, eight hours and counting before violinist Pip Clarke makes her Hawaii debut with the Honolulu Symphony Sunday afternoon. Coming here requires a plane flight -- something she hates -- but the England born-and-bred Clarke sounds genuinely excited about the trip. Pip Clarke excited
about Hawaii debutBy John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin"I've never been, so I'm really looking forward to seeing Hawaii. It's going to be absolutely so exciting. Plenty of film is being brought with me," she says.
Clarke's excitement is reciprocated here. She's coming to play the dynamic romantic piece she's become known for, Korngold's "Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 35." It's a piece few violinists have approached since Jascha Heifetz first championed it more than 50 years ago.
ON STAGE
What: Pip Clarke performs with the Honolulu Symphony
Clarke describes Heifetz's recorded performance as "the yummiest recording going," but contemporary reviewers have lauded her interpretation as well. Along with such accolades as "flawless" and "dazzling," Clarke has been dubbed the "Superwoman of the Strings" and "Queen of the Beautifully Bouncing Bow" for her technique.
"It's the kind of music that I love. I've always been very interested in quick playing (and) it's always fun to show off, to just tighten the bow up and really go for it.
"Somebody introduced me to (Korngold) with a recording of Heifetz doing it and the second movement in particular just struck me as being so beautiful. Some sections are slightly more percussive and there are beautiful lyrical melodies in there, but the second movement always hits home with almost anybody.
"The first time I played it, it went down very well and I've played it a lot since as one of my favorites. It's very romantic and easy listening (for) people who don't necessarily know it. It's also a lot of fun."
Clarke still finds the piece a rewarding challenge.
"You can play with it. You have a little bit of leeway to do your own thing," she said.
Clarke was a school girl when she first fell in love with the sound of the violin. Unlike some prodigies -- she made her London debut at 16 -- Clarke recalls a normal childhood in a large family.
"Mom and dad are very level-headed (and) I wasn't forced into anything. I love music but I did all the normal stuff."
Clarke's success in England led to engagements elsewhere. She emigrated to the United States in 1990.
"To begin with, it was a bit of a wrench because I love England. I was born there and grew up there and went to school there. But it was also very exciting. It was a completely different pace of life than I was used to. It's a bit more laid back in England. But I've gotten to see an enormous amount of the states in the past few years. I'm lucky to be able to get back to England quite often so I've got sort of the best of both worlds."
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