Ever notice how violinists are really cool in rock circles these days? We’ve already told you about a few such violinists performing in the D.C. area in recent months, and now one of the most internationally lauded is taking a local stage. David Garrett, who in 2010 was one of the top-grossing concert acts according to Billboard’s Boxscore Chart, will show off his violin god chops as he mixes rock and classical sounds backed by a four-piece band. So why all of the fairly recent excitement about the violin?
“The violin is a very honest instrument. You can immediately hear if somebody can play or not,” Garrett said. “I think audiences are looking for something which isn’t manufactured, something which is handmade.”
| Onstage |
| David Garrett |
| When: 8 p.m. Friday |
| Where: Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW |
| Info: $45 to $65, $36 for George Washington University students; 202-397-SEAT (7328); ticketmaster.com |
Although Garrett is speaking of violins, of course, the same is true of his innovative music, a dazzling mix of rock and classical music.
Garrett was a child prodigy who was embraced by the classical community at age 10, but he never limited himself to classical music, as evidenced by his recent album “Rock Symphonies.”
“For many years, I’ve wanted to bring classical music to a younger audience,” said Garrett, who was soloing with the greatest orchestras in the world by the time he was 10 years old. “And I’ve seen fantastic results — I have a wonderful young audience enjoying Beethoven, Bach and Brahms, so that’s a dream come true for me.”
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra joined Garrett on “Rock Symphonies,” where they interpreted some of Garrett’s favorite songs, from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana to “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses and “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith.
“I’m very big fan of ’80s rock, of power ballads and that kind of stuff,” Garrett said. “And I think adding an orchestra elevates rock to a whole different level.”
Though some might consider it an unusual mix, even with all of the melding of formats, Garrett said the process wasn’t at all strained.
“This was a very natural process,” he said. “I think every great violinist in the past has always tried to reach out to new audiences in including contemporary popular music in their repertoires.”
What Garrett doesn’t add is that listening to his interpretations — to my ear one of the best is of the Bill Withers’ song “Ain’t No Sunshine” — is to fully appreciate parts of the music that perhaps went undiscovered when the original version was released.
“Life is all about living in the moment. If [audiences] have a great time listening to me, they don’t have to take something away,” he said when asked what listeners would take from his concerts. “Music is temporary vacation from life.”
