Anyone who has ever been asked to name a favorite movie, play, song or novel will identify — and perhaps envy — this definitive, “top on the list” statement from classical violinist, Stefan Jackiw.
“I think it’s the greatest violin concerto ever written,” he said without hesitation of Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto in D Major.” “I’ve played it several times [and] each time I return to it and study it … I find new ways to think about it.”
Jackiw will return to his beloved piece this week as he performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Juanjo Mena in a program that will also feature Beethoven’s “Ritterballet Music” and Schumann’s “Symphony No. 4 in D Minor.”
One of the Violin Concerto’s greatest attractions according to Jackiw is that there is “nothing effortless about the work.”
“In this piece, I think Beethoven addresses the human condition with so much joy, but also struggle and conflict,” said the 23-year old, who is still referred to as a violin prodigy. “There is a yearning and searching, and ultimately resolution and acceptance.”
Other scholars have noted the piece is free of conflict and full of joy, coming at a time of prolific writing by the composer and his reconciliation with the loss of his hearing. Either way, its esteemed place in the classical violin repertoire is secure and considered the gold medal performance of a violinist’s career — a challenge Jackiw has been taking on for sometime.
“Stefan Jackiw has been a favorite of Baltimore audiences since his debut with the BSO back in 2002,” said Paul Meecham, BSO president and CEO. “Still only 23, he’s emerged as one of the most talented violinists of his generation.”
Not without its inherent technicalities, however, Jackiw finds the concerto “tricky in that there are so many small details that one has to focus on.”
“But one can’t lose the greater scope of the picture,” he concluded. “The piece is very architectural [and] a massive work.”
Clearly the beauty here is the sum of all its parts.
IF YOU GO
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
• Venue: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
1212 Cathedral Street, Baltimore
Time: 8 p.m. Thursday, 3 p.m. Sunday
•Venue: The Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
Time: 8:00 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $25 to $80
Info: 410-783-8000 or www.bsomusic.org
