Concert - Movie => Impressions

Two events touched me particularly last week and I would have blogged about them if only I hadn’t been submerged in work since then: I was to hear Prokofiev's 2nd violin concerto in concert (for the 3rd time, as far as I can remember) and I finally saw “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” on DVD. Both of those left me pondering quite a bit.

If I start with the ESOTSM, it’s basically by far the best movie I’ve seen in a while. Completely mesmerizing and so challenging that it sets your mind on a whole journey. I’ve actually been having the wildest dreams since I saw it, that’s how constantly it is working my brain. It’s an essay on love, relationships and communicating, memories. And anyone who’s had his heart broken once or twice can relate to it. Actually, I was almost tempted to call up some past lover to say: “You see?! You see?!” So, very satisfying, and it’s still working me, I tell you. Also among the most beautiful love stories I have ever seen.

Now, the concert was highly enjoyable too. Coupled with the Prokofiev were a Haydn symphony and Shostakovich symphony. Quite an odd pairing actually, because I would say Haydn and Shostakovich were a world apart. But it somewhat worked. This Haydn symphony, the number 6 – “Morning”, is fairly subtle and understated, not purely one of those “happy, happy” symphonies, rather “content and poised”. It has some gorgeous solo parts which – although I didn’t quite relate to some of the leading violinist’s playing (Haydn’s supposed to be jolly and relaxed, not neurotic and strained, which is what too much vibrato conferred) – really set me in the mood for the rest.

The rest being the two Russians: the Prokofiev lyrical, mystifying, carnal, tense, voluptuous, fiery, passionate, fervent, twisted – I love it; the Shostakovich humorous, piercing, sarcastic, bombastic, abrasive, neurotic, self-destroying – love it too. The violinist did a remarkable job with the concerto, the instrument she was playing having received far more publicity before the concert than her (she was playing a Stradiviarius nicknamed “The Dolphin” , formerly owned by Jascha Heifetz). Japanese Akiko Suwanai executed the technical parts of the concerto extremely skillfully and effortlessly, gave it a nice rough edge (just like it should be) but let the lyrical bits sing. If anything, the concert hall probably drowned her at moments, most unfortunately. It was kind of interesting that she should be playing the same violin as Heifetz, his recordings of Prokofiev probably being among the best ones around. I myself would love to get a new recording of this, with a soloist from the younger generation, but I have mixed feelings about where to look. While I definitely think this concerto should have a rough edge, I think a performer like Maxim Vengerov might actually be too virile to do it justice …