The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, wrote his Violin Concerto with the hope of one day performing the piece himself. For whatever dark reasoning lay behind it, he made the violin solo markings incredibly difficult. However, it has become a piece embraced by violinists who delight in a challenge. Karen Gomyo, who solos with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Carlos Kalmar Saturday night at Strathmore, is more than unusually attracted to the composition, the featured piece in the evening’s repertoire.
“Sibelius was known to be a complex human being,” observed the Canadian violinist who made her New York debut as the recipient of the coveted Young Artists International Summis Auspiciis Prize. “He had a lot of inner demons and apparently writing this concerto was not an easy thing for him to do.”
| Onstage |
| BSO Classical Concert |
| Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda |
| When: 8 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: $28 to $61, call 410-783-8000 or 877-BSO-1444; bsomusic.org |
Difficult in that, technically speaking, it is awkward in many places and the violin does not sit so comfortably with the left hand.
“Every time I pick it up, I always have to practice as if I’m learning it for the first time,” Gomyo continued. “Most violinists will agree it’s one of the hardest, most awkward pieces to play and one of the trickiest, both technically and musically for conductors.”
Gomyo, who is in her late 20s, credits years of ensemble chamber playing for the ability to communicate with members of the orchestra and, especially, the conductor.
“When you bring that experience to the stage with an orchestra and conductor, you have the antennae, so to speak, to pick up all that is going on around you and not just playing your part separately,” she said. “For the soloist, it enhances the [performance] and you are really a part of the whole ensemble. Music should be played that way; it’s everybody’s business, not just your own!”
In her ongoing journey to challenge all the compositions she aspires to play, Gomyo expresses a special love for the Sibelius concerto, one that her parents played for her as a child and one she wishes to share with her audiences.
“I feel there’s an element of story telling to it; this dark, fairy tale quality, this ‘Once upon a time …'” she said.
