PERFORMING ARTS
Post
Friday, June 17, 2005; C07
Yang Liu
The buzz at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage concert by violinist Yang Liu wasn't necessarily for the player -- it was for the instrument. The Lady Tennant, a violin by Antonio Stradivari, is the most expensive instrument ever sold at auction, going for $2,032,000 at Christie's in April. The anonymous buyer gave it to the Stradivari Society, which then lent it to Liu.
Liu had the instrument for only three weeks when he took the stage Wednesday evening, and it seemed the two had not yet found their perfect fit. The balance between violin and piano was a little off, particularly during Beethoven's "Spring" Sonata. The violin lines were clearly articulated, but sometimes overpowered by the piano.
Liu had a tendency to be overly meticulous. Everything was clean, but there was little feeling of spontaneity. The Bach Chaconne in D Minor was lovely, but Prokofiev's Second Violin Sonata was the best example of the capabilities of both the player and the instrument. The fast second movement was more vibrant than the earlier repertoire, and the violin responded beautifully to the strident playing necessary for Prokofiev.
Stradivarius instruments are remarkable, but the player and the violin still must get to know each other. This was the first performance for Liu and his Lady Tennant, but it certainly won't be the last.
-- Claire Marie Blaustein
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601341.html