A couple of years ago, Patricia Kopatchinskaya was described in London’s Telegraph as “the wild child of classical violin,” and anyone who was privileged to hear her play with the Seattle Symphony last Thursday night at Benaroya Hall will agree wholeheartedly.
In Prokofiev’s fiendishly difficult Second Violin Concerto she proved herself not only a superbly skilled violinist but one who engages with the audience, the musicians around her and the conductor, in a way that was so appealing it was impossible to take eyes off her. Kopatchinskaya plays intensely with her whole body, not just swaying as some do, but almost dancing in place with the music. In heels, she might have tripped, but she performed in what (from Row AA) appeared to be bare feet, in a full skirted floor-length red dress. (In socks she could have slipped.)
At times she would turn to communicate a passage with the first violins, at another the celli, but at all times in this very busy concerto where the violin rarely stops she inhabited the music with interpretation that came alive every moment. Kopatchinskaya’s tone, sometimes silvery, sometimes honeyed in the lyrical second movement, gave way to an almost demonic whirlwind in the last.
Elisa Barston (Photo: Larey McDaniel)
The orchestra, under guest conductor David Zinman, gave her excellent support. The close-to-capacity audience surged to its feet with roars of approval and after a couple of bows, Kopatchinskaya returned for an encore, in which she chose to perform the second movement of Prokofiev’s Sonata for two violins with the evening’s concertmistress, Elisa Barston, to more acclaim.
The evening began with Mussorgsky’s brief Introduction to Khovantchina in Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestration and ended with Brahms’ Fourth Symphony. Only something of this weight could have come after the Prokofiev and it was well chosen. Conductor David Zinman, 79, is a contrast in styles to Kopatchinskaya, 39.
As he conducts, Zinman is relaxed and laid back, often sitting on a high stool, though it was clear the orchestra knew exactly what he wanted, from the synchronized pizzicato of the strings in the second movement to the joyful exuberance of the last. Brahms uses the winds extensively, and there was fine work from all the horns and the wind principals and in the Mussorgsky, an exquisite long melody from oboist Mary Lynch.
