Monday, 29 October 2007

Von Otter/Kuusisto/Forsberg in Korngold recital

I suppose I ought to be more familiar with Korngold´s music, so I wouldn’t have had to risk neck injury to look at my neighbor’s programme to follow the going-ons at this recital – since programs were sold out even before people started arriving, though the Queen Elizabeth Hall was only half full at most…..

Luckily accompanist Bengt Forsberg provided some initial explanations of the programme – which mainly consisted of songs by Korngold and contemporaries (sung by Anne Sofie von Otter) as well as his violin sonata (played by Pekka Kuusisto). I must admit, I was very impressed with Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto – his appearance in casual outfit and an almost non-chalant take on the music, but a very engaging presence on stage. Anne Sofie von Otter sang beautifully, but she somehow seemed not to perform at maximal intensity.

I now see that Intermezzo has also reported from this event (more extensively), and with more or less the same main points as myself.

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