Review, 03-08-2004

The Benjamin Britten International Violin Competition 2004

“The Dutch Gold Medallist, Simone Lamska (19, as was Britten when composing his concerto) played on a Gagliano loaned to her as part-prize of a competition last year. She gave a wholly convincing account of the Britten Op.15 concerto (revised version), reaching a complete freedom in the final Passacaglia that had the large audience (many of whom would not have known the work) holding its collective breath - 'you could hear a pin drop'! It was idiomatic and totally assured, eclipsing the disturbing, uncomfortable experience of a recent account by Vengerov with Rostropovich (their subsequent CD is well rated, and he was playing it again at the Proms this same night).

I look forward to hearing Simone Lamska soon in live recital and on Naxos CD. Because of the current interest in arrangements and original versions (q.v. BIS's success with the 1903 version of the Sibelius violin concerto) why not grasp the nettle proferred by Ida Haendel and commission Simone for her CD debut to make a première recording of that original version of the Britten concerto?”

Peter Grahame Woolf, MUSICAL POINTERS
www.musicalpointers.co.uk/competitions/britten_comp.html 

Laureates Gala Concert: Britten Violin Concerto with LSO/Sir Andrew Davis at The Barbican 3 August 2004

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